Choices Made, Roads Taken
by Ghost in the Machine
Summary: After the events of Chosen Path, Jeffery Anderson receives a frantic phone call from Nerima. Ranma has gone to meet his mother and no one has seen him since.
1. The Call

Jeffery Lewis Anderson wasn't really a heavy sleeper. Yes, he liked to get a full eight hours if he could. He functioned at his best if he managed to get those eight hours. But living in Manhattan, one can hear either a police siren, a fire engine siren, or an ambulance siren 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So over the years, Jeff had learned to ignore certain sounds, or hear them only when he wanted to hear them.  
  
There were also certain sounds he was sensitized to. His infant son's crying was one, the sound of a gun being cocked was another.  
  
The ringer on his bedside telephone was a special case. There were ten different phone numbers that could be dialed and cause that phone to ring. Nine of them were unlisted, and eight of them, not even the phone company knew about. This kept the sales calls down to a minimum. Each of the numbers had a distinctive ring. Depending on the circumstances and which ring sounded, Jeff would either ignore it completely or spring awake instantly.  
  
The reason that this is important is that at 5:30 one fine Sunday morning, the phone was ringing. It wasn't the 'The world is ending' ring and it wasn't the 'Publicly listed and therefore safe to ignore' ring.  
  
It wasn't even the 'Your wife wants to speak with you RIGHT NOW' ring. After all, Anne was lying in bed next to him and muttered, "Will you get that before it wakes the baby."  
  
Jeff had the receiver in hand before he realized it was the 'People you trust to watch your back' ring. A total of nine people and one cat had this phone number. All of them knew him by his real name and while five of the ten of them knew he had been a superhero, only four of them, including the cat, knew which superhero he had been.  
  
This meant the call was probably one he wanted to take, but one that wasn't supremely urgent. So summoning what little energy he possessed, he said, "Hello?"  
  
An anonymous female voice came over the line. "This is the Overseas Operator. There is collect call for Jeff Anderson from Saotome Ranma, Nerima Ward, Tokyo, Japan. Will you accept the charges?"  
  
-----  
  
Ghost in the Machine presents:  
  
Choices Made, Roads Taken  
  
A Private Universe/Ranma 1/2 crossover.  
  
Ranma 1/2 and the characters associated with it are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and whomever she sold the rights to. Mishima Heavy Industries and the characters associated with it are the property of Yuzo Takada and whomever he sold the rights to. This is just for fun and no copyright infringement is intended. Other characters appearing in this work of fiction belong to me, Warren Phillips. Other characters mentioned, but not appearing in the work belong to Christopher Roxby. Wherever he's managed to disappear to.  
  
-----  
  
Choices Made, Roads Taken.   
Chapter 1: The Call  
  
"I'll accept the charges," Jeff answered, suddenly much more alert than he'd been just a few seconds earlier.  
  
"Will you require a translator?"  
  
"No, I'm reasonably fluent." There was a brief pause, the sound of relays clicking and then a new voice came on the line. Much to Jeff's surprise, it was a woman's voice.  
  
"Anderson-san? This is Tendo Kasumi."  
  
"Hello Tendo-san. What can I do for you?"  
  
"Ranma gave me your card after school on Friday. He told me to dial this number collect using his name if he didn't return or call by dinner time today."  
  
Not what Jeff had intended when he gave Ranma that particular number, but not totally unexpected. "Where was he going?"   
  
"I think he was going to go see his mother." Kasumi sounded distinctly upset to Jeff's ears.  
  
"What's so bad about that?" Jeff hadn't seen or spoken with his parents since they day they threw him out for having more money in the bank than they did. But then, Jeff hadn't known that Ranma even had a mother. He'd met Genma, but had never met or heard mentioned Ranma's mother.  
  
"She doesn't know about the curse..."  
  
Jeff could see how that might be a problem. He waited for Kasumi to continue.  
  
"... and when Ranma was younger, she extracted a promise from his father that Ranma would return from his training journey a 'man among men' or that they would both commit seppuku."  
  
Jeff's brain went momentarily off line. His memory picked out some details from one of the conversations they had had at Ukyo's restaurant. Ranma had been going on training journeys since he could he walk, maybe even earlier. His last training journey had lasted for ten years before he went to the Tendo Dojo. Not to his home, but to the Tendo Dojo.  
  
"Ranma couldn't have been more than six years old then."  
  
"Actually, I believe this was before his first training journey."  
  
"What kind of woman accepts a suicide pledge involving an infant?" Jeff did the best he could with the vocabulary he had. After all, he didn't know the Japanese phrase for 'psychotic bitch'. "What kind of evil woman even asks for a suicide pledge from her own son?" he continued.  
  
"Anderson-san, Nodoka-san is not an evil woman. She just holds her honor... very dearly. When she came to the dojo recently, his father forced Ranma to stay in his cursed form. It broke Ranma's heart. To see his mother for the first time in so long and not be able to tell her who he really was."  
  
Jeff thought about telling Kasumi what he thought about the situation, but didn't want to start swearing at her. It would be wrong. She was just the messenger.  
  
"So you think Ranma decided to confront his mother and reveal his curse?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Yes. I am almost certain of it."  
  
"You think she's going to make him do it?"  
  
"I... I... I don't know. I hope not. I _pray_ not. But do I think she is capable of having Ranma kill himself? Yes. Yes, I do. Anderson-san, I am so very afraid."  
  
Jeff didn't get really angry that often. He normally didn't get angry at the villains who tried their level best to kill him. It had been part of the job and nothing to get angry about. But Kasumi was the nicest person he'd ever met. Anyone who could instill that much fear into her deserved all the anger Jeff could generate.  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I can. Find out where Nodoka lives. Buy the information from Nabiki if you have to. Give me your phone number and I'll call you as soon as I arrive in Japan."  
  
Jeff took down the number and got off the phone. Anne rolled over on her side and said, "You were speaking Japanese again, who was it?"  
  
"Kasumi Tendo. She picked out the kimono I brought back from Japan for you."  
  
"What was she calling at this hour for?" Anne asked as she reached for the kimono in question.  
  
"I don't think the time difference even crossed her mind. You remember me telling you about Ranma Saotome?"  
  
"The martial arts guy that turns into a girl?"  
  
"Yeah him. You also remember last year when we wanted to start 'Search and Rescue' but everyone else decided to turn Challengers Ink into MATRIX?"  
  
"Yes." By this time Anne was fully awake, but seriously wondering what her husband was talking about. She hated being Jeff's rhetorical sounding board, but she had accepted the good with the bad when they had got engaged and saw no reason to stop just because they were married.  
  
"'Search and Rescue' just got it's first case. I'm going to find Ranma Saotome and rescue him from his mother.  
  
-----  
  
Meanwhile, half a world away, a sixteen year old young man was waiting for his mother to kill him. He'd been so _close_ to revealing who he was to his mother the second time they had met. The first time, he hadn't even known it was her. He hadn't even recognized his own mother. What kind of son doesn't know his own mother?  
  
Ranma had gathered his courage and went to confront Saotome Nodoka alone. She had been so glad to see her son. Her handsome, strong, manly son. It was the happiest five minutes of Ranma's life. Ranma had been about to explain his curse when his mother told him to wait while she put on some water for tea. Then the fates played their favorite trick. She turned on the faucet, but the water didn't flow.  
  
"Ranma, my son, could you come here for a moment?" Nodoka asked from the kitchen.  
  
Ranma went eagerly to obey. But then the rusted washer that was blocking the water flow gave way under the increasing pressure and blew the handle off the faucet just as Ranma entered the kitchen.  
  
He got wet. His curse activated. Anyone who knew Ranma could have foreseen it happening. What they could not have foreseen was Nodoka's reaction to seeing Ranma replaced by 'Tendo Ranko'. To put it in as few words as possible, she freaked.  
  
Explanations were futile. Circumstances be damned. The curse, the miserable stinking curse, caused a mother not to see her son, but instead a thing. A monster. Something unclean. Something that was most definitely not 'a man among men'. She changed Ranma back, put him in a formal robe suitable for his death and dragged him to the family shrine. Hoping that it would bring her to her senses, Ranma refused to take up the tanto and make the first three cuts, informing his mother that if she wanted him dead she would have to kill him herself.  
  
Ranma found himself bent over the chopping block and heard the Saotome Clan sword drawn from its sheath. He braced himself for the blow. But it didn't come. And it didn't come. After five minutes, he dared to raise his head and saw something he wished he hadn't. His mother was staring at the sword in her hands. Slowly turning it to look at both sides of the blade, and with unholy fascination, gazing at its razor sharp edge. That she would use it eventually wasn't even a question in Ranma's mind. Why he wasn't already dead, he had no clue.  
  
After five minutes of clock time and an eternity of personal time, Nodoka finally spoke. "No. Your father must die as well for his failure. You will stay here." Nodoka left without another word.  
  
Ranma felt some relief. Some hope. Saotome Genma was real good at hiding when he wanted to be.  
  
That was two days ago. She had twice brought him water to drink and rice to eat. She allowed him two trips to the bathroom per day. The rest of his time was spent waiting to die.  
  
'Damn Pops and his damn stupidity. Damn me and this damn curse.' Ranma thought for the thousandth time in the last two days. Oddly enough, it was his father's cowardice that was keeping Ranma alive right now.  
  
Ranma had made no attempt at escape, although he was certain that he could at any time. He was honor bound to stay, so stay he did. It had been just over two days since he left the Tendo Dojo, he was certain that Kasumi had called Jeff by now. He couldn't say why he'd made the arrangement. There were other people he could have left messages for. Other people who might have been able to help. But instead, he'd told Kasumi to wait two days and call a gaijin retired superhero that he'd known for less than two weeks and hadn't spoke with or even really thought about since.  
  
But who else was there? Tofu-sensei had disappeared while Ranma was affected by the weakness moxibustion. No one knew where he was. Ryoga might have helped, but only by sheer chance could he be contacted. Even then, he'd never have been able to find Ranma in less than a week. Nabiki could have arranged something, but only for money or things that could be turned into money. But, if she accepted money from him to do something, she'd accept more not to do it from someone else. Although... she hadn't tried to blackmail Ranma during Nodoka's visit. Uncharacteristic of her and therefore not to be trusted. Kasumi was strictly a non-combatant. He should have never involved her in this in the first place.  
  
Mousse? Too likely to see this as a golden opportunity to get Shampoo by removing the competition. Cologne? Willing to help, but only if Ranma accepted his 'marriage' to Shampoo. Which would have been a fate roughly equal to death. Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi would have all taken a request for help as a marriage proposal. Very bad, not good and flat scary in that order. Akane? Things had been slowly been getting better between them. Too slowly. If push came to shove, would she help him? She was always so helpful and kind to anyone who wasn't Ranma. But him?  
  
'I shoulda told Akane. Even if she doesn't trust me, I shoulda told her. If I live through this, I havta apologize for not telling her.'  
  
But he hadn't told Akane. He arranged for Kasumi to call someone half a world away and not even told her why she was doing it. He had hoped his mother would accept him. He feared that she wouldn't and would send him away. Disowning him maybe. But this?  
  
'Maybe if she'd got to know me as Ranko.'  
  
Well after dark on the third day of his... restraint, Nodoka came in unexpectedly. Unexpected as far as the routine of the last two days were concerned. Still carrying the Saotome Clan sword unsheathed, she spoke in a calm level tone to her only child.  
  
"Your dishonorable father has been found. I expect him to be brought here soon. I want him to see with his own eyes how I will end your stain on my honor. Then I will end his stain for failing to raise you as he promised me and then my own stain for having to kill the both of you. And unlike _you_, I shall wield the tanto most effectively."  
  
The words hurt Ranma more than he could say. If he'd not sworn on his own honor, to himself, not to die by his own hand, he would have saved his mother the trouble.  
  
-----  
  
The minutes after hanging up the phone were spent in frantic activity. Jeff wrote an e-mail with the subject line 'coming to collect' and sent it off into the ether. Then came the question: To go in costume, or not to go in costume. He had retired from being a superhero. Putting on a costume would make him a legitimate target again. No. For Bill sake, he'd go plain clothes. But not, like last time, unarmed and unarmored.  
  
After return from Japan, Jeff had spent some spare time designing and building a bullet proof trench coat. The outer layer was actually 12 layers of a new aramid fiber, a 'next generation' Kevlarª. The inner layer was of Nomexª, a fireproof fabric of tested reliability. Between these layers were micro-scale chain mail of more Kevlar embedded in a rubberized plastic matrix for cushioning. There were also pockets and attachment points for his gear.  
  
Overall, the protection level was the same as his old costume, maybe even a little better as far as impact resistance went. He'd made a set of boots of similar materials to protect his feet. Although he included laminated polymer plates in the boots. Just as useful as steel caps, but lighter and not subject to those who had magnetic powers.   
  
After a hundred push ups, a quick shower and dressing in a dark outfit, Jeff outlined his thoughts. "Here's the game plan. I'm going to fly the Maule to that little airfield outside of Pittsburgh, you take a commercial flight and fly it back to Teterboro," Jeff told his wife as he prepared himself.  
  
"What about our son?" Anne asked while she was scrambling a half dozen eggs in a large bowl.  
  
"Bring him with you if... Wait, the flight back would be a problem. Better take Little Bill out to see Big Bill." Collapsible staff. Check. Stun stars. Check.  
  
"Dad's at a business conference in London this week." Browned sausage was dumped into a hot skillet with sliced mushrooms. The eggs followed soon after.  
  
"And Janet and Mel have court appearances all day today," Jeff continued. It wasn't enough to just catch the bad guys. Sometimes you have to appear in court. Since Melinda's identity was public knowledge, she usually got stuck with making the majority of the court appearances for MATRIX. But it also scratched two of his preferred babysitters. First aid kit. Check. Shuriken. Check.  
  
"How about I call Walt and offer him $20 an hour to babysit?" Anne asked of her husband.  
  
"If you can get him." Walt Corbell was part of New York City's fleet of bicycle couriers. He was one of Jeff's few friends outside the costumed set. Walt had been given the same phone number that Ranma had. He also had an enviable track record of getting involved with meta-humans and the chaos that surrounds them and coming out of it in one piece. Folding Binoculars. Check. Smoke Bombs. Check.  
  
"If not, there is always daycare at my dad's company." Using a spatula, Anne scraped cooked egg from the bottom of the pan so the uncooked egg could get a turn.  
  
"You know my opinion of daycare." It was a negative one, because his son was likely to develop meta-human abilities at a young age. Jeff couldn't remember a time that he didn't have some telekinetic ability when he was growing up. Sure, Bill was only seven months old, but there was no need to risk publicly manifesting powers. PDA. Check. Wallet. Check. Checkbook. Check.  
  
"And you worry too much," Anne countered, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a jug of orange juice.  
  
Birth Certificate. Check. Passport. Check. Jeff shook the coat to make sure everything was attached securely. Satisfied, he donned the trench coat and asked, "How do I look?"  
  
Anne looked at her husband from top to bottom before turning back to the stove. "Like a gangster," she said disparagingly.  
  
Jeff thought about doing a Brando impersonation, but decided to eat breakfast instead. 'Not going to do Ranma any good by going to Japan if I'm a mess when I get there,' he told himself.  
  
Soon, Jeff was flying over the Hudson River heading for Teterboro Airport where he kept his and Anne's Maule M-7-235B Super Rocket. After a preflight inspection and minimal clearance delays, Jeff lined his airplane up on the 1-19 runway at Teterboro Airport a few minutes before dawn. He only needed a fraction of the 2100 meter runway to get airborne. At his best altitude gaining speed, he climbed into the brightening sky and turned west.  
  
-----  
  
Genma Saotome was angry and more than a bit scared as he sat in a bar nursing a bottle of sake. How could his son do this to him? Take all the effort and training that had been poured into him and throw it all away by confronting his mother. Didn't the boy realize that his neck was on the line too?  
  
Genma was in human form, he was far less conspicuous that way. People might not remember a man walking around in a white gi, wearing a large pack, but they would definitely remember a panda wandering around.   
  
He'd felt uneasy since Saturday morning. Genma knew Ranma had returned from school with Akane, but didn't recall seeing him after that. Akane had left before dinner Friday to spend the weekend with some friends. When Ranma didn't show for dinner, Genma's only thought had been 'more for me'.  
  
Ranma's continued absence come breakfast time had been a tip off that something might be wrong. His futon hadn't been slept on. Genma decided to check on Ranma's various suitors to see if he could turn up a trace of the missing boy.  
  
There was no sign of him at the Ucchan or the Cat Cafe. In fact, he was asked where Ranma was at both places. Checking the Kuno estate was a bit more difficult because of a brief run in with Mr. Green Turtle and his pond. But despite making a systemic search of the entire Kuno compound without being caught at it, there was no trace of Ranma to be found.  
  
It was at this point Genma returned home to have dinner. He overheard Kasumi speaking on the phone and agreed that his missing son might very well have gone to visit his mother. He'd changed back to human form, ate a hearty Kasumi cooked meal and put on his traveling pack. Time for the Saotome Ultimate Technique. At least the first part of it anyway. He told Soun that he felt like a short, solo, training trip.  
  
He hadn't got far before he stopped at a local watering hole for some liquid refreshment. Not too much, he would need his wits about him if he somehow encountered his wife. He was still on his first bottle when a young man sitting further down the bar turned and said, "Hey, aren't you Saotome Ranma's father?"  
  
Genma's mind went on alert, but he wasn't quite foolish enough to say anything.  
  
"You know," the man continued, "Saotome Ranma has got to be the best martial artist in Japan, maybe even the whole world. Says a lot about the man who trained him."  
  
However, flattery will get you everywhere. "Well... that is... I did the best I could with that ungrateful son of mine."  
  
"You really are Saotome Genma then. I'm damn glad to meet you." The man turned to the bartender and said, "A bottle of sake for the gentleman down there."  
  
The bartender looked at the clean-cut young man, then at the scruffy older one. Shrugging, he grabbed a bottle and set it in front of the older man. The younger man then moved over a couple of places and sat down next to Genma.  
  
Genma was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He finished the bottle he'd been working on, and cracked open the new one. Thanking his new acquaintance, the two began to talk about martial arts. To Genma's eye, it was obvious the young man was no martial artist. 'Must be just a fan.' One bottle turned into two bottles. Which turned into three and then four. There was something that he should have been doing, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. 'It couldn'ta been tha' important anyways' Genma thought while working on a fifth bottle. That's when the young man's friends arrived and upon learning that he was Saotome Genma, the sensei of the greatest martial artist in the world, they'd started to buy him drinks too.  
  
Two hours later and many yen poorer, the first young man got up and went to a pay phone. He dialed a number that he'd written down the previous day. The phone was answered on the first ring.  
  
"Moshi Moshi."  
  
"Moshi Moshi. Saotome-san, we have found your husband."  
  
"Do you expect any difficulties in bringing him to me?"  
  
The young man looked over to where Saotome Genma was downing yet another bowl of sake. Despite the fact that the man held his liquor well, he couldn't possibly last much longer. "Not really Saotome-san." There was a loud thud in the background. Turning, the man noted that Genma had finally passed out. Although he somehow managed to avoid spilling his drink. "No. No difficulties at all."  
  
END CHAPTER 1  
  
----- 


	2. Road Trip to Avalon and Points West

Choices Made, Roads Taken.   
Chapter 2: Road Trip to Avalon and Points West  
  
What has gone before: Jeff Anderson, formerly the superhero known as Tach, receives a frantic phone call from Kasumi Tendo. She believes Ranma has gone to reveal his curse to his mother despite knowing about the 'man among men' suicide pledge he signed when he was young. Kasumi was correct in her assumption, but Nodoka's reaction was far worse than anything Ranma had anticipated. The only reason Ranma isn't dead yet is Nodoka wants to make sure Genma dies too.  
  
While Jeff makes arrangements to get to Tokyo, Genma has been located by Nodoka's agents. It's now a race against time to see if Jeff can reach Ranma before he and his father are slain by an enraged Nodoka.  
  
-----  
  
Two hours after leaving Teterboro, Jeff landed on a small airstrip a few miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Pulling his plane into a rental hanger, he did his post flight inspection and paid the landing and rental fees. The cab he'd called ahead for was waiting and told the driver to take him to Avalon.  
  
When it comes to powers beyond those of science, like seeks like. Meta-humans tend to congregate near New York City, Los Angeles and London. Ki using martial artists gather in and around Tokyo and Hong Kong. Magic has a few power centers as well. Stonehenge is one, the Nazca Plain in Peru another.  
  
There are other places where magic can be found. Jusenkyo comes to mind. Avalon, Pennsylvania, is home to a small but reliable source of magic. The one true mage that Jeff had ever knowingly met lived in Avalon. Along with several dozen he didn't have a clue about.  
  
After paying the cab driver, Jeff walked up to the porch of a nondescript house. The mailbox was metallic blue, and the name on it was C. O'Balt. 'Real subtle,' thought Jeff.  
  
Jeff rang the doorbell and after a moment, the door opened of it's own accord. A man's voice called, "I'm downstairs."  
  
Jeff knew what to expect. He'd been here before. Walking through a living room that existed strictly for show, Jeff reached the hall and walked to the first door on the left. As expected, once he opened the door, blue light spilled out into the hallway. Sighing, Jeff started down the stairs knowing the door would close behind him.  
  
The stairs extended far deeper than any basement would have required. It seemed to take a different amount of time to reach the bottom each time he'd made the trip. When he'd installed the computer set up in Cobalt's sanctuary, he'd made a lot of trips.  
  
Finally reaching the bottom, Jeff saw pretty much what he expected to see. With few exceptions, every thing he saw was a shade of blue. No visible ceiling, just a blue haze that lit the chamber. A large silver pentagram on the floor, two desks, one an ancient rolltop and the other a modern computer station. Several bookcases with tomes and scrolls of various sizes. An old Xerox machine looking somewhat out of place in a corner. Finally, a man of medium height and build wearing blue from head to toe, topped by a metallic blue mask.  
  
"Hello Tach."  
  
"Hello Cobalt," Jeff replied. Neither man went to shake hands. The first and only time they'd done it, Cobalt had to recast two spells afterwards. Magic had been known to do some strange things around Jeff.  
  
"How can I repay that favor I owe you?" Cobalt asked, getting straight to the point.  
  
"I need to get to Tokyo as fast as possible."  
  
"Have you considered calling a travel agent?" Cobalt asked in a conversational tone.  
  
"Time is of the essence."  
  
A bit of an edge creeped in to Cobalt's voice. "You don't ask for much do you? That's half way around the world. Do you have any idea how much magic it takes to teleport that far?"  
  
"It doesn't have to be a teleport. I just need to get there really fast."  
  
"The way magic works around you? Not bloody likely. With you, it's got to be all or nothing. You're the only person to ever destroy a gold Emalian kastbrek ward by punching it."  
  
Jeff wasn't sure if that was good or bad, mostly because he couldn't remember doing it. So he got back to the matter at hand. "Can you do it or not?"  
  
"I'll give you a definite maybe. Give me a few minutes to do some research," the mage replied.   
  
After spending ten minutes going back and forth between his computer and his bookshelves, Cobalt turned to Jeff and asked, "You give blood recently?"  
  
"No. The Red Cross permanently deferred me the first time I tried. Something about enzyme levels."  
  
"I'm going to need a pint."  
  
The oddness of the request didn't surprise Jeff at all. The thought that powerful magic might call for a blood sacrifice wasn't that strange. "I've got some needles and a little I.V. tubing in my first aid kit, and I can rig a tourniquet, but what do I put it in?" Jeff responded.  
  
"Don't sweat it. I've got everything you'll need. This isn't the first time I've used blood to help with a spell that I normally couldn't cast, and I flat guarantee you it won't be the last. At least this time, it won't be my blood."  
  
Jeff did his own prep work and inserted the needle into the vein on his inner left arm. The blood started to flow and he gave the blood pressure cuff on his arm a squeeze. Every so often, Jeff squeezed his fist to keep the blood flowing. In under twenty minutes the bag was full. As Cobalt didn't want to make physical contact, Jeff pulled out the needle himself. A little gauze and some direct pressure took care of the bleeding. Jeff drank two glasses of apple juice and ate a ham sandwich while Cobalt took the blood and prepared it for the transport spell.  
  
"O.K. I've got a ritual that should work. I need you to go to the center of the pentagram and stay there. I'm going paint over the silver with this." Cobalt indicated the blood filled chalice he was holding. "Once I start chanting, I want you to concentrate on where it is you want to go. Try to be as specific as possible. It'll take ten, fifteen minutes for the spell to activate. The pentagram should start to burn with a blue-white flame just before the spell kicks in. When it does, you'd better be focused."  
  
"What if it does something else?" Jeff asked, walking into the central pentagon of the arcane construct.  
  
"Well, if it starts to burn with a green or black flame, try to jump clear. Anything else should safe. But no promises. Also, this more than makes up for the favor I owe you."  
  
"There's a young man by the name of Ranma Saotome who will greatly appreciate it." Jeff put the image of the Tendo Dojo in his mind and focused on it to the exclusion of everything else.  
  
The ceremony went better than expected. Instead of the ten minutes Cobalt thought minimal, arcane energies began to ripple across the pentagram after six minutes of chanting. Soon it was burning a variety of colors. Blue-white was dominant, but there were silver, gold, red, orange, brown and gray flashes mixed in.  
  
Suddenly, the entire pentagram flared blue-white and Jeff was gone. The pentagram was its normal immaculate silver once again. Cobalt didn't feel anywhere near as drained as he should have from casting such a spell. "Must have been aiming for a nexus point and not known it."  
  
Curious, Cobalt cast an augury on one of his magical tomes to do a metaphysical status check on the name Ranma Saotome. What he read there shocked him. "Jusenkyo? Damn Tach, you're in over your head again," the man muttered under his breath before deciding to leave Fate to itself.  
  
-----  
  
Three men were carrying an unconscious fourth. The fourth was Genma Saotome. Because it was relatively late on a Sunday night, they didn't attract too much attention. The smell of alcohol was enough to deter the mildly curious.  
  
"Come on, just a little bit farther," the first said, encouraging his two companions.  
  
"Geez, this geezer weighs a ton," the second complained.  
  
There was a brief pause while the third man fumbled a set of keys from his pocket. "What now?" he asked.  
  
The first man said, "Just dump him in the back. It's not like he's going to feel anything for a while." It took all three men to dump Genma's sake soaked form into the delivery van.  
  
"What did that lady want him for anyway?" the second man asked.  
  
"Don't know, don't care. But for what she's paying, she can kill him if she wants," the leader answered prophetically. Turning to the third man, he continued, "You can find the address, right?"  
  
The third man snorted, answering, "I deliver flowers for a living. I can find any address in Japan."  
  
"Well, let's get this crate moving then. It's payday."  
  
-----  
  
Jeff flashed blue-white into existence with a 'pop' of displaced air. It was dark and he couldn't see a damn thing. Then he remembered there was a thirteen hour time difference between Tokyo Time and Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Jeff pulled out the PDA, locating the light option by touch and then tapping up the clock feature. Allowing for the time change, it was just past 10:30 PM local time.  
  
Guiding himself by the weak light, Jeff made his way out of the dojo proper. Slipping the PDA back in it's holder, Jeff walked up to the house. He was about to knock, when the door in front of him slammed open. The next thing Jeff was aware of was a kick aimed at his face. Jeff crouched to avoid the blow and rolled right to evade the follow up.  
  
Reflexively, Jeff pulled his staff from it's boot sheath and pressed a button to extend it. He then used the staff to block two swings from a bamboo practice sword. There were at least two people attacking him he realized.  
  
"Wait! Wait!" Jeff cried to no avail. The larger of the two foes leapt at him in a flying kick. Jeff lashed out with his staff and connected with enough force to knock the attacker off line. Unfortunately, doing so left him open to a strike from the other antagonist. The bamboo sword snapped in two as it impacted against the right shoulder of Jeff's armored trench coat. The strike stung a bit, but there was no serious injury.  
  
Jeff twisted around and, after taking a fast swing at the person holding half a sword that missed, leapt back to get both of his opponents in view. Belatedly, he threw up a repeller field for additional protection. "Kasumi!" Jeff shouted.  
  
"Leave my sister alone you pervert!" the smaller of Jeff's two foes yelled.  
  
"Akane?" Jeff grunted in surprise before evading a flurry of punches and kicks.  
  
Jeff then saw a thing out of nightmare. A giant demonic head complete with a long forked tongue, fiery red eyes and sharply pointed horns filled his field of view. "Leave My Daughters Be!" the apparition shouted in a voice that reverberated in Jeff's bones.  
  
Jeff was momentarily paralyzed until he noticed the moustache. The features of the demon were actually the heavily distorted features of Tendo Soun. That realization was enough to snap Jeff out of whatever the older man was doing to him.  
  
"Tendo-san?"  
  
Suddenly, an exterior light flicked on and everyone froze. Then a calm voice cut the silence. "Oh my. Anderson-san, I thought you were going to call first," Kasumi stated.  
  
-----  
  
Akane apologized for the attack, she had thought Jeff was a burglar. Soun wanted to know why Jeff would come at such a late hour. Nabiki thought about ways to make a little spending money out of the situation. Kasumi put on the tea kettle. But then, Kasumi knew why Jeff was there.  
  
Jeff explained to Soun that he'd come to find Ranma. He didn't say that he might be looking for a corpse by this point. Soun had asked if there was anything he or his family could do to help. Jeff asked Soun for permission to bring Kasumi with him as 'native guide'.   
  
There were reasons why Jeff wanted to bring Kasumi with him. One, he really did need a native guide. While he spoke the language well enough, his ability to read Japanese was minimal at best. Two, it was Kasumi, not anyone else, that Ranma had relied on to call Jeff. The level of trust implied spoke volumes. Finally, she was the best person for the job. Ranma would need the best possible advocate to intercede with his mother. Jeff didn't trust Nabiki, thought Soun too emotional and had mixed feelings about Akane.  
  
Jeff knew Ranma was fond of Akane. As of his last visit anyway. But Akane had demonstrated more than once that she had a nasty temper when riled. Hotheadedness was a liability during a rescue. Ranma also brought out the worst in Akane. One careless comment could change her from a rescuer to a danger equal to Nodoka. Best to leave Akane at the dojo.  
  
Soun granted permission for Jeff to ask Kasumi for assistance. Kasumi agreed to help and went upstairs to get dressed. Soun, having jumped to some strange conclusion of his own, went back to bed. Jeff walked around to the porch by the koi pond, sat down and waited. Almost immediately, the youngest Tendo daughter walked up and spoke.  
  
"Can I come with you?" Akane asked. "I want to help."  
  
Jeff thought carefully about how to get her to stay home without hurting her feelings. He tried the easiest first. "You and Nabiki have school tomorrow."  
  
"Isn't this more important than school?" Akane asked heatedly. Visibly calming herself, she continued, "I mean, you're here and all. Shouldn't you be in school too?" Akane was unaware of Jeff's former profession. She thought him a college student who just happened to be a pretty good fighter.  
  
"Akane, if this was a martial arts problem, I'd bring you or your father. If it was a money problem, I'd pay Nabiki for help," Jeff answered.  
  
"So it's a cooking and cleaning problem?" Akane interrupted, wondering what the connection to Ranma could be.  
  
"Let's just say it's a domestic harmony problem, which means Kasumi is the best person to handle it."  
  
Akane thought about it. While her pride demanded that she get involved, her common sense told her that Jeff had a point about Kasumi being best suited to handle a domestic harmony problem. Whatever that actually was. She quietly said 'good night' and went up to her room. But once there, she didn't go to sleep for a long time.  
  
Nabiki waited until she heard the door to Akane's room open and close before she went to talk with their visitor. "You somehow got here, from New York City, in four hours," she began. "How'd you do it?" There was some _serious_ money to be made here if she managed to find the right handle to grab. Besides, she owed Jeff a little payback from the last time he'd been in Japan.  
  
"I never said I came from New York."  
  
"But this does," Nabiki riposted, flashing the card he'd given Ranma a few months back. "I looked up the area code. It's a New York City code."  
  
"You ever hear of call forwarding?"  
  
"You could have been in Japan and needed more than four hours to get here. You expect me to believe that?"  
  
"'It doesn't matter if you believe me or not' is what you told me when I asked that of you," Jeff replied calmly. He then snatched the card out of her hand before she could flinch. When she didn't react, Jeff realized she must have memorized the number already. No biggie, he'd just stop using that number and leech a new one from the phone company's computers when he got home.  
  
Nabiki gave Jeff a thoughtful look, as if debating with herself before speaking again. "You know, you just don't add up. Everything I could find says you are just an American college student. But you beat Kuno, held your own against Shampoo, and when Mishima Heavy Industries showed up, they came looking for you and were armed for bear. Hardly what I'd call normal, even for this madhouse."  
  
Jeff imagined Nabiki hanging from the rafters of the dojo, but said nothing.  
  
Nabiki continued after she was sure Jeff wasn't answering. "What's so important about Ranma anyway? One phone call and you drop everything in your life and rush halfway around the planet. Makes me wonder about your motives."  
  
Nabiki was once again using her ability to piss Jeff off. He didn't know if she was aware of this ability, but Nabiki had been using it regularly starting three days after they had first met. "I consider Ranma a friend, and I look out for my friends. I doubt you believe that because I think you don't have any friends of your own for comparison," Jeff retorted. Wanting to direct his anger at a non-human target, he fished a quarter out of his pocket and folded it in half.  
  
Nabiki's features lost their curious look and hardened into full 'Ice Queen of Nerima' mode.  
  
"As for my motives," Jeff continued, unfolding the coin and folding it back the other way, "they don't include blackmail or getting a cheap laugh and/or money out of someone else's misfortune or even setting up fights between people for my own benefit. But since you're so damn curious, I'm here to save Ranma's life if I can. I just hope it's not too late already." A few more folds sufficed to tear the coin in two.  
  
Nabiki wasn't stupid. Ever since Nodoka's visit, Ranma had been a little 'off'. Despite what Jeff or many others believed, she did have limits. A little humiliation or some pictures were one thing, but the seppuku pledge that Ranma's mother held was nothing to mess with. Ranma confronting his mother could easily explain his weekend long absence. The more she thought about it, the more likely the scenario seemed. The ice cracked. "I'm sorry Anderson-san. I had no reason to believe that it was this serious. I don't want Ranma dead."  
  
Jeff was strongly tempted to ask, 'Why, because you'd lose your favorite target/income source/toy/protector?' Instead, he managed "Thank you" in a reasonably civil tone and tucked the torn coin back into his pocket.  
  
Kasumi came down from her room at this point. Her appearance surprised both Jeff and Nabiki. Kasumi wore a simple cream colored blouse under a dark blue blazer and matching pants. A small blue purse was slung crosswise from her shoulder. Her hair was braided instead of pony-tailed and hung straight down her back. She carried a pair of running shoes in her left hand and a large flashlight in her right. Jeff had never seen Kasumi in anything other than a dress and thought she looked nice. Nabiki wasn't even aware that her older sister owned clothes other than dresses and was almost speechless.  
  
"Ready to go Kasumi-san?" Jeff asked.  
  
Kasumi raised the hand with the shoes and answered, "As soon as I get these on." Noticing Nabiki's stare, she simply stated, "I thought I might need something more practical than a dress and sandals for this." She then sat down and pulled on the foot gear in silence.  
  
Soon, she stood and reached into her purse and handed Nabiki a few 500 yen coins. "I don't know when we'll be back, but I doubt it will be in time for breakfast. This is so you, Akane and father can go out and eat. Under no circumstances are you to allow Akane to cook in my absence."  
  
Nabiki nodded numbly. This was so unlike her sister. Kasumi was being... forceful? Her older sister obviously knew more about what was going on than she did. She was out of the loop. It was a feeling she didn't like at all. She sat there, absentmindedly fingering the coins in her hands as Kasumi and Jeff left the compound. After a moment, she went up to her room. She needed take what she had learned tonight and find how it fit in with the rest of her existence.  
  
-----  
  
A van labeled 'Sumire's Floral Service' slowly made it's way through a residential neighborhood in the Tokyo suburbs. Inside were three men delivering an unconscious fourth.  
  
Turning toward the back of the van, the first man asked, "How's he doing back there?"  
  
"Still out like a light," the second replied from his position next to the unconscious Saotome Genma. "God, I can't believe how much sake it took to drop him. Damn near tapped me out."  
  
"We'll each make that back twenty times over," the first man said.  
  
"Hell, if it wasn't for the money, you think I'd be doing this?" asked the third from behind the wheel.  
  
"You'll just spend it on Michi anyway," the second retorted.  
  
"At least I'll enjoy it. I'm not the one who owes money to the wrong people. I mean, how could you bet on the Swallows?" the third shot back.  
  
"Shut up, both of you," the first man said loudly. "Let's just get this done and then we can do what we want to with the money. Isn't that place around here somewhere?  
  
The van turned to the left and cruised down the street a short distance before pulling to the curb and stopping suddenly. The third man killed the ignition and said, "We're here."  
  
Unloading their unconscious passenger took only a few minutes and getting paid only a few more. But it was a subdued trio that got back into the delivery van.  
  
Heading back to the highway, the third man finally broke the silence. "That Saotome woman is one spooky dame. Dressed up in those formal robes like that and carrying that big sword."  
  
"Yeah," the first said.  
  
"Yeah," the second agreed.  
  
"And that kid. If looks could kill, that geezer would have exploded," the third man continued.  
  
"Yeah," the first acknowledged nodding.  
  
"Yeah," the second agreed again.  
  
After a moment of silence, the first man, the one who had accepted Nodoka's offer of a substantial amount of cash in return for tracking down her husband, spoke, "You know... If anyone asks, we ain't never heard of anybody named Saotome. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah," the second responded.  
  
"Oh yeah," the third man answered from behind the wheel as he turned toward the expressway.  
  
END CHAPTER 2  
  
----- 


	3. Timing is Everything

Choices Made, Roads Taken.   
Chapter 3: Timing is Everything  
  
What has gone before: When Ranma's curse is revealed to Nodoka, she freaks and intends to enforce the 'man among men' seppuku pledge she obtained from Genma all those years ago. The only reason Ranma isn't already dead is because Nodoka wants to make sure Genma dies too.  
  
Jeff Anderson has covered the distance from New York City to Nerima in four hours and hopes Ranma is still alive by the time he can find him. Time is running out as Genma has just been delivered into the waiting arms of Nodoka.  
  
---  
  
Kasumi and Jeff walked to the Nerima rail station, looking more like a young couple on a date than they had any right to. However, what they were talking about couldn't be considered a normal date discussion.  
  
"What I don't get is why Ranma would consider himself bound by this seppuku pledge in the first place."  
  
"Ranma is a strong believer in honor, both his own and his family's. That is why he accepts the engagements to both Ukyo and Akane, even though Genma's honor was questionable in arranging more than one fiancee. Ranma has great commitment to family honor."  
  
Jeff shook his head "That's another thing," he said. "Honor is personal. To me, 'family honor' is a meaningless phrase. People can be honorable. Many people in the same family can be honorable, but the concept of an abstraction like 'family' having honor of it's own? Sorry, I can't buy that."  
  
"I am afraid I will have to disagree with you Anderson-san. Family honor is paramount. Family comes first, the individual second."  
  
"And I'm not arguing with that last part. I'll put my wife and son before myself any day of the week. But those are obligations I accepted with my eyes open and fully aware of the consequences. Ranma didn't get that choice."  
  
"It is not Ranma's choice to get. The needs of family come first."  
  
Jeff stopped walking. Kasumi stopped as well. Turning to Kasumi, Jeff asked quietly, "If you honestly believe that, why are you here? Why not just let Ranma die? It's what 'family honor' requires, isn't it?"  
  
Kasumi had the look of a deer caught in a headlight. She didn't want Ranma to die. She knew that. That family came first, she had no doubt. She had been living proof of that since the death of her mother. Could those two beliefs be reconciled? Only if... "Ranma is family," Kasumi finally responded in a barely audible voice.  
  
It was true. At some point, Ranma had become part of _her_ family. It wasn't just the engagement between Ranma and Akane. Ranma's link to her family may have been anchored there, but it wasn't the only point of connection. Kasumi routinely called Genma "Uncle" and had called Nodoka "Auntie" more than once. Which meant Ranma was part of her family.  
  
"Ranma is part of my family," Kasumi said more firmly. "I do not want to see him die. If his mother only sees the curse and not the rest of Ranma, she would be making a terrible mistake."  
  
"Nice to see that we're both on the same page." With that, the two continued walking toward Nerima Station.  
  
After a minute, Kasumi turned to Jeff and asked, "Why are you here?"  
  
"Like I told Nabiki, I consider Ranma a friend and I look out for my friends."  
  
"There must be more to it than that."  
  
Jeff thought for a bit before answering, "I look at Ranma and see great potential. No, that's not big enough. I see Earth altering potential. Power and ability and will and everything it takes to make a real difference in the world. I'll be damned if I'll see it wasted because someone mistakes the surface for what lies beneath."  
  
It wasn't long before they reached Nerima station and found it dark and deserted.  
  
"Oh my," Kasumi stated.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"The sign reads, 'The Seibu Ikebukuro Line is closed for maintenance and minor repairs. Service will resume 5:30 Monday morning.' Hmm. We will have to walk to the Seibu Shinjuku Line south of here."  
  
"I'm not sure we have the time. Isn't there a subway entrance around here someplace?" Jeff asked.  
  
"The subway station is closed for renovations. Do not worry Anderson-san, it is not that far."  
  
Jeff swore to himself and decided time was more important than security. Besides, Ranma obviously trusted Kasumi and Jeff had no reason not to. But a little misdirection wouldn't hurt. "Kasumi, do you believe in magic?"  
  
Kasumi was taken aback by the sudden question. "Don't be silly. Of course I do," she answered.  
  
Jeff pulled half a quarter from his pocket and handed it to Kasumi. "Then hold on tight to this and get ready to fly."  
  
-----  
  
Nodoka stared down upon the drunk and unconscious form of her dishonorable husband as he slept in front of the Saotome family shrine. She verified that Genma and Panda-san were one and the same with a bucket of water and a tea kettle. 'This just won't do,' she told herself. After a scathing glance at her son, she proceeded to the kitchen.  
  
Some wasabi, a daikon and three imported habaneros formed the base of the hangover cure. Genma needed full command of his limited faculties in order to play his part in the upcoming drama. Otherwise, some might call what was about to happen murder instead of two people committing seppuku to redeem their dishonorable conduct. Pulling on a set of rubber gloves to protect her hands from the ingredients, she bent to the task of sobering up her husband. The tears in her eyes were chemically induced. That's what Nodoka convinced herself of anyway.  
  
Meanwhile, Ranma whispered internally, 'Damn you Pops. Ya can't even hide right.' That he could still escape wasn't a question. Even carrying his father, he could outrun his mother. But that would be a greater stain on his honor than staying and letting his mother kill him. It wouldn't solve anything either.  
  
The seppuku pledge was the Sword of Damocles hanging by a thread above him. Cutting that thread would let it fall and kill him, which was slightly better than walking away as far as his honor was concerned. Besides, with his luck, if he walked away, it would just track him down like the rest of his troubles. 'There has ta be a third way,' Ranma thought to himself.   
  
'Maybe that's why I called Jeff. He's smart, maybe he can figure out something. But he ain't gonna make it in time. I havta do this myself.' With that, Ranma settled down and reviewed the situation with fresh eyes.  
  
-----  
  
Kasumi held half a quarter in her right hand and Jeff held her left wrist as they flew through the skies of Tokyo. Her eyes were wide as she experienced the novel situation of looking down on Tokyo from above. She wasn't scared at all.  
  
'I wonder if Mousse-kun feels this way?' she thought as she flew over Sugamo Station. Two more stops till they started following the Joban Line instead of Yamanote Line. 'Probably not with those glasses. But still, this is wonderful.'  
  
Jeff was glad that Kasumi didn't panic once they were airborne. She had done her prep work and knew exactly which trains to take to get to the Saotome home. They weren't using the trains, but following the rails worked almost as well. He'd flown carrying his wife many times. Kasumi was lighter than Anne, so she wasn't slowing him down as much.  
  
"There, follow those tracks, the ones that cross the bridge by themselves," Kasumi directed.  
  
Jeff shifted course and the two flew on through the night.  
  
-----  
  
Nodoka poured the red tinged liquid down her husband's throat as her son looked on impassively. The results were pretty much as she planned. Genma bolted upright, screamed like a steam whistle and gulped down two buckets of water she'd readied for just that purpose. Despite his haste, he didn't spill a drop. There was then a spasm of coughing and wheezing. By the time he regained control of himself, the Saotome clan sword was at his throat.  
  
"Welcome home husband. Your training journey is over at last. All those long years with nothing but the occasional postcard to let me know that you and my son still walked the Earth. And here I stayed. Wondering, hoping, praying, that my son would return a 'man among men'. You thought a mother's love would harm Ranma's training. But you gave me an oath. An oath that if my son did not return a 'man among men', that both you and he would commit seppuku." Nodoka pulled out the time worn document with Ranma's hand prints on it.  
  
Genma said nothing. He could already feel the tanto sliding through his belly. Ranma said nothing. He was still trying to think of a solution and couldn't be bothered with lesser concerns.  
  
Nodoka continued, "It was bad enough that I did not hear from you once you returned to Japan. When I went to visit the Tendo's, they said you had gone on a 'training trip'. Yet there you were. Right before my eyes. You, pretending to be a panda. Ranma, my 'manly' son, pretending to be a girl! You failed me. You kept my son away from me for NOTHING! Ranma is not a 'man among men'. So you will die by your own hand as you promised me." Nodoka produced a tanto from inside her robes and handed it to Genma before readying her sword once again.  
  
Genma, trying to delay the inevitable, spoke. "And where is the tanto for Ranma?"  
  
"Your son... refuses to carry out his part of the ceremony. His dishonor grows that much greater. So I will strike his head from his shoulders myself. It is the only way any honor can be salvaged from the horrible mess you have created with your absolute failure."  
  
Genma was shocked by Nodoka's revelation. He'd believed the boy was so bound by honor that he was surprised that he wasn't already dead. His wife was right. He had failed. With slow deliberate motions, Genma pivoted the tanto toward his own stomach.  
  
Ranma saw his father turn the knife toward himself. He wanted to say his father hadn't failed, but his tongue wouldn't work after two and a half days of silence. Suddenly, his mother was behind him once more, bending him over the chopping block. He heard his mother's sharp intake of breath and braced himself for darkness.  
  
"KI YAAAAAAH!" shouted Nodoka as she made the killing stroke. The impact ran up her arms as the blade flew from her hands and embedded itself in the ceiling.  
  
From the doorway to the Saotome shrine, Jeff said, "I've got to work on my timing." His right arm was stretched out in front of him and the repeller field he'd created above Ranma's prostrate body was in danger of blowing out the roof until he heard the creaking of timbers and collapsed the field.  
  
Ranma lifted a head that was still attached to the rest of him and looked at the new arrival. "Jeff?" he squeaked. Then he noted who was standing behind Jeff. "Kasumi?" Ranma's head swam, but he knew if it lost it then, he was in big trouble.   
  
Nodoka didn't know if she should be angry at the interference or grateful that she had been stopped. "Just who are you to come into my home this way," Nodoka demanded.   
  
"My name is Anderson Jeff and you already know Tendo Kasumi. We're here to speak on behalf of your son, Saotome Ranma."  
  
"I Have No Son!"  
  
"Well in that case, we'll just take the young man in front of you and go. Obviously, that suicide pledge can't be enforced on someone who isn't your son."  
  
Nodoka stared daggers at Jeff. "You are a clever gaijin. Very well, I acknowledge Ranma as my son. I also have an oath from my husband that promises Ranma will return from his training as a 'man among men' or that both he and my son will commit seppuku. You know what that means don't you?"  
  
Jeff had spent some of the flight from Teterboro to Pittsburgh thinking about the terms of the oath that Kasumi had told him about. "Well, I think Ranma's a man among men. Genma did what he said he would do. What's your problem?"   
  
Upon hearing this, Genma considered the possibility that he might just get through the night alive. Realizing he still had a tanto pointed at his stomach, he set down the knife as if it had suddenly turned into Akane's cooking. Although he also wondered how the family sword had become stuck in the ceiling.  
  
Nodoka grabbed a spare bucket and tossed the contents at Ranma, activating his curse. "You consider _that_ a 'man among men'?" Nodoka ground out.  
  
"Yes, I do. That's just an exterior change. It goes away with a little hot water. Inside, Ranma is still Ranma. He's the best martial artist I know. He acts in an honorable manner when those around him do not. He routinely deals with things that would cause most people to run for their lives. His curse would have _broke_ a lesser man. But Ranma still keeps going, like the man among men that he is."  
  
A small part of Nodoka rejoiced at Jeff's words. If Ranma was a man among men, then he was right to have refused seppuku. It wasn't a stain on his honor, it was a demonstration of it. She sought confirmation. "If Ranma is a man among men, why did you, Tendo Kasumi, help hide Ranma and Genma from me?" she asked quickly.  
  
"For the reason that you have just demonstrated Nodoka-san. You saw only the curse. You didn't see Ranma. You judged him without knowing him. Ranma is not perfect. No one is. But I consider him part of my family and would not see him killed over an error in judgment."  
  
It took time, but Nodoka's resolve slowly cracked. Kasumi did most of the talking and did an excellent job as Ranma's advocate. Things calmed down enough for Ranma to return to male form. Throughout the process, he said very little in his own defense. Eventually, Nodoka declared the oath fulfilled and gave Ranma the contract that she had carried for so long. Ranma tore the contract into confetti and burned it at the family shrine. Everyone gave a sigh of relief upon seeing the document destroyed.  
  
Genma prepared to go pick up his pack from the bar he'd left it at and move out of the Tendo dojo. Now that he could see his wife again without worrying about seppuku, he planned on doing just that. Kasumi straightened up the kitchen and disposed of the rest of the hangover cure that Nodoka had made. It made an excellent drain cleaner. Jeff spoke with Ranma for a bit and then left Ranma with his mother. He wasn't overly thrilled with Saotome Nodoka, but getting Ranma out from under the suicide pledge in one piece had been his main goal and he had accomplished it. Barely.  
  
Ranma, carefully choosing his words and watching his language, spoke with his mother. There were many things he wanted to say. He managed to say them. But the hardest part was saying goodbye. "I think it's about time to go."  
  
"What do you mean 'time to go'? You just arrived. I finally have my son back after all these years. The oath from your father that was my curse is gone. I can finally be your mother as I have so desperately wanted to be."  
  
"Mother, I've been here for almost three days. Most of that time was spent waiting for you to kill me. You swung your sword at me with the intention of removing my head from my shoulders to eliminate a stain on your honor that wasn't even there. It's a miracle that I'm even alive right now. I can't forgive you that easily."  
  
"But I am your mother and this is your home."  
  
"You saw my curse and called me 'thing', 'monster', 'unclean'. I look at you and all I can see right now is the woman who wanted me dead. I don't see my mother. I don't see my home. Not yet."  
  
"Stay and you will find those things."  
  
"No. The one thing I've learned in the last few months is that I have to start making my own decisions about my life."  
  
"Then will you please choose to stay? If only for a little while."  
  
"You must be where I get my stubbornness. But the answer is still 'no' mother. I have to make some decisions about how I will deal with the problems in my life. I can't do that in Nerima, there are too many distractions. I can't do it here. This is too close to Nerima, the trouble would just follow me.  
  
"Jeff offered me a chance to get away from Japan for a while. I _choose_ to go. I know leaving won't solve nothing, but maybe I can find some answers. Jeff is pretty smart. I think he can help."  
  
Nodoka held her son close and cried. "It's 'leaving won't solve anything' my son. Maybe this is for the best. But I will miss you so much," she managed between sobs.  
  
Ranma returned his mother's embrace and said, "I'll come back mother. I promise." Tears, neither manly or unmanly, fell from Ranma's eyes.  
  
END CHAPTER 3  
  
----- 


	4. The Long Goodbye, part 1

Choices Made, Roads Taken.   
Chapter 4: The Long Goodbye, part 1  
  
What has happened so far: Jeff Anderson, retired superhero, receives a call from Kasumi Tendo. She correctly guesses that Ranma has gone to reveal his curse to his mother despite the 'man among men' seppuku pledge. His execution, delayed by Nodoka making arrangements for Genma's capture, is stopped in the nick of time by Jeff. Nodoka declares Ranma a man among men and the suicide pact is destroyed. Ranma, feeling that this particular brush with death was too close, decides he is going to take up Jeff's offer of getting out of the country for a while.  
  
But first, preparations have to be made and certain people informed of what is going on.  
  
-----  
  
It had been a long night. The city of Tokyo was beginning to stir on a cool Monday morning. Ranma, Kasumi, Genma and Jeff changed trains three times on their way back to Nerima, with the number of riders growing at each stop. Fortunately, the real heavy traffic wouldn't start for another hour or so.  
  
Jeff had been able to change some money at Ikebukuro Station and looked forward to going to Ucchan's for some okonomiyaki. Although Ukyo had given Jeff some recipes before he'd left the last time, his best efforts weren't anywhere near as good as what Ukyo made.  
  
Genma unexpectedly declined the offer of breakfast. He wanted his pack and he wanted it now. He didn't own much, but there were things in that pack that shouldn't be left unattended. So it was Jeff who entered Ucchan's ahead of Ranma and Kasumi.  
  
Ukyo began her normal customer greeting. "Irasshaimase. May I take your... Jeff?" Then she noticed who had walked in behind him. "Ranma!" she cried, bounding over the grill and a couple of customers. Including Akane.  
  
Akane had been worried about Ranma, but that evaporated into anger when she saw Ukyo doing an Amazon glomp impression. She stood and picked up the nearest heavy object, which happened to be the stool she had been sitting on. Her swing at Ranma was blocked unexpectedly. It look her a moment to realize that it was Jeff who had blocked it. A remote part of her mind noted Kasumi moving to cover the grill.  
  
"Akane, it's been a long night and I'm not in the mood. This is why I didn't want you to come with me last night. You saw something you didn't like and started swinging. That kind of behavior would have got Ranma killed," Jeff stated levelly.  
  
Akane slowly placed the stool on the floor. She barely heard what Jeff had said to her. Most of her attention was focused on Ukyo fawning over Ranma and Ranma not doing anything about it. Tears started running from her eyes. She made a break for the door, but Jeff blocked her escape. She took a couple of swings at Jeff, but her heart wasn't in them.  
  
Jeff continued, "I'm not letting you run away from something you don't like either. Now sit down and eat your breakfast." There was a brief pause before Akane sat down.   
  
Ukyo thanked Kasumi for not letting anything burn and took breakfast orders from her, Ranma and Jeff. While Ukyo was busy, Ranma and Kasumi drank tea. Jeff didn't drink tea, so he was able to talk with Akane.  
  
"Did Auntie Nodoka really try to kill Ranma?" Akane asked.  
  
Jeff took a deep breath before answering. "I won't lie. If I'd have been even one second later, Ranma would be dead. But you should really be thanking Kasumi. She convinced Nodoka that the 'man among men' oath was satisfied. It's been destroyed and Ranma never has to worry about it again."  
  
Akane set down her chopsticks and cried. Jeff got up from his stool, forcibly dragged Ranma over to it and took the seat next to Kasumi. Ranma did the best he could to comfort Akane, but it wasn't much.  
  
----  
  
After Jeff finished his third okonomiyaki he asked Ukyo, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"  
  
"I'll cut. Ranma needs me."  
  
Jeff's voice turned from conversational to dead serious. "No. He needs to be left alone for a bit. By everyone. He's suffered a major shock and needs time to recover."  
  
"Please, this is Ranma. He bounces back from anything."  
  
Jeff replied, "Can we talk privately for a minute? I think I need to explain a few things to you." It was the tone of voice that convinced Ukyo to chase out everyone except Kasumi, Akane, Ranma and Jeff before putting up the 'Closed' sign.  
  
Jeff and Ukyo went to the back of the store. Ukyo wasted no time and asked for the details about the previous night. Jeff started with blocking Nodoka's blade a few centimeters before she decapitated her son and told the story from there with a few flashbacks for details. Ukyo was very pale by the time Jeff finished.  
  
"So my point is, Ranma needs to be left alone for a bit. He needs to come to terms with what happened with his mother. He doesn't need distractions from his fiancees, rivals, enemies or anyone else. And I will personally stomp anyone, up to and including Cologne, who tries to bother him before he gets time to recover. As mean it sounds, that includes you, despite the fact that I think Ranma would be better off with you than Akane."  
  
Ukyo blinked twice. Jeff thought she'd be a better wife than Akane. Someone actually agreed with her? Well, if Jeff thought she was Ranma's best choice, maybe he was right about leaving Ranma alone for a few days. Ukyo decided that she would still cut classes for the day. Arriving late was more hassle than cutting entirely since Kuno-koucho had taken over.  
  
Jeff went through a modified version of his speech with Akane, leaving out the 'better off' part. Akane was sufficiently subdued not to argue with Jeff. Especially after Kasumi started agreeing with him. It was a quiet group that made it's way to the Tendo Dojo.  
  
Soun was his usual emotional self upon Ranma's return. Kasumi told Jeff that she would handle her father. Jeff escorted Ranma up to the room that he shared with his father. Exhausted, Ranma plopped down on the futon.   
  
Jeff said, "Ranma, I've told Ukyo and Akane to give you some space for a few days. I think they'll actually do it. If anyone else tries anything, I'll use such force as I feel appropriate. You just relax. If you need anything, just let me or Kasumi know."  
  
"Thank you," Ranma replied. Ranma waited until Jeff left the room to have a nice, long, reassuring attack of the shakes before he truly slept for the first time in over three days.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff spent three busy days keeping the curious away. Kasumi was the only person that Jeff let come and go as they pleased. He'd allowed a visit from Genma. Genma had been there, his life had been on the line too. Besides, he needed to gather the stuff he hadn't placed in his pack and take it home. Otherwise, Jeff would have splashed him and sent him off to Ueno Zoological Gardens along with Shampoo and Ryoga.  
  
Jeff regretted not giving P-chan the pounding he so richly deserved, but was trying to keep the noise level down. Akane had fortunately been at school during Ryoga's visit, so P-chan's secret was still intact as far as Akane was concerned. Mousse had come relatively peacefully, listened to what Jeff had to say and left still human. Not that the water ladle lady didn't nail him anyway just afterwards.  
  
Cologne never showed, and only Kodachi made more than one attempt to visit. Everyone else realized Jeff was serious after he nearly drowned Happosai in the koi pond the second evening. Happosai's small form made him hard to tag with a punch, shuriken or staff, but it was easily held by Jeff's TK. Only Kasumi kept him from finishing the job when Happosai took another crack at Jeff after being released. But he felt he might owe Akane one after she'd malleted Happosai farther than the laws of physics should allow.  
  
Kodachi, oblivious to reality after merely being thrown in the koi pond, disarmed and frog marched out of the Tendo compound, had returned to the Kuno fortress to rearm and plan her next rendezvous with her beloved Ranma. If the red-haired harridan or the brown-haired foreigner tried to stop her, they would be dealt with most harshly.  
  
After dark, the Black Rose leapt stealthily to the top of the fence surrounding the Tendo home and dojo. Another leap took her to a convenient tree. A few acrobatic flips and turns through the branches led her to a convenient spot to reach the roof. After pausing to make sure she was unobserved, she leapt to the roof and traversed the tiles to Ranma's room. The window was unlocked. Ranma must have anticipated her arrival! She'd certainly have her way with him this night. The window slid open quietly and Kodachi slipped in, trembling with anticipation.  
  
Kodachi's mind was busy with it's own imaginings, so she never saw the fist that rendered her unconscious. She never felt the hands that bound her with her own ribbon. She didn't feel a thing as she was carried from Ranma's room.  
  
"You know, you shouldn't hit girls," Ranma told Jeff sleepily.  
  
"This ain't a girl, just another trespasser," Jeff responded.  
  
-----  
  
Kodachi awoke to the feel of cold metal against her skin and an aching centered around her nose. 'This can't be Ranma's room' she thought. She then noticed she was bound. 'Oh my dear Ranma, I didn't know you liked it rough. I'll have to remember that for next time.' Then she noticed she was outside. 'Rough _and_ outdoors. Oh what an exciting lover my Ranma is.' Finally, she noticed she was on the top of Tokyo Tower and quite a crowd was gathered underneath her.  
  
This was enough for her to remember that she hadn't spent the previous night in Ranma's embrace, but instead had been captured by person or persons unknown then carried here. Whoever did this to the Black Rose would be found and punished. But first she must see if her cherished Ranma was all right. Whoever had done this to her might have endangered her beloved as well.  
  
It wasn't until the rescue crew came that she changed her plans. The words 'Geez miss, what happened to your face?', caused Kodachi to pull out her compact and check the mirror. Her nose, her beautiful nose, one of the finest features of her aristocratic face was broken. A large portion of the remainder was puffy and swollen. The horror! Vengeance would have to wait. First she must return herself to her accustomed state of beauty. She couldn't let her beloved Ranma see her like this. So instead of plotting her capital 'R' Revenge, Kodachi called Sasuke and ordered him to find the best plastic surgeon in Japan, no in all the world. 'One must keep one's priorities straight after all.'  
  
-----  
  
Tuesday morning, Ranma asked Akane to bring his schoolwork home with her. Akane was surprised by the request but did so. Nabiki was amazed by the request and started a pool on when Ranma would return to school. The most popular choice was next Monday with never a close second.  
  
Ranma didn't care. He was focusing on other things. The close to zero distraction environment gave Ranma the chance to get all the sleep he needed. This left time him with plenty of time to think. Ranma decided he needed a distraction, it would keep him from obsessing over the encounter with his mother. Since he planned on going to America with Jeff, he concentrated mostly on English. Jeff had learned Japanese before he'd come to Japan, it was only fair for Ranma to return the favor.  
  
Taking one of the few pieces of good advice his father had given him, Ranma turned the English lesson into Martial Arts Linguistics. And nobody learns martial arts faster than Ranma Saotome.  
  
By Friday morning, Ranma felt well enough to face the world. Coming down to breakfast, he saw Jeff sitting crossed legged at the dining table, eyeing his miso soup suspiciously. Except that Jeff was in his father's normal place, it looked a normal morning at the Tendo Dojo.  
  
"Ohayoo Ranma," Jeff said.  
  
"Good morning Jeff," Ranma replied carefully in heavily accented English.  
  
"What's with the English?" Jeff asked in the same language.  
  
Ranma continued in English after pausing to get his thoughts in order, "Before you come to Japan, you learn Japanese. Before I go to America, I learn English. At least start to learn."  
  
"Good idea," Jeff finished in Japanese.  
  
Akane was in the same English class as Ranma and couldn't recall him talking this smoothly before. Was the Ranma who sat next to her now the same Ranma that had sat next to her only a week ago? The more she thought about it, the more she feared the answer was no. His brush with death had changed him. She knew that when he'd asked her to bring the schoolwork he'd been missing. This was just confirmation. What other changes were there? Akane was eager to find out and afraid at the same time.  
  
Breakfast was almost normal. Ranma ate like a whirlwind until Jeff pointed out that no one there was going to steal his food. He slowed down somewhat after that. Ranma asked Jeff if he wanted to walk to school with them. Maybe see some of his former students. Jeff answered that he was too tired after providing Ranma with three days of peace and quiet. He was going to take a nap as soon as he helped Kasumi with the breakfast dishes.  
  
Since they weren't running late, Akane and Ranma calmly took their bentos from Kasumi. (Nabiki had left for school early to sell information on Ranma's absence and settle the pool about his return. She expected a busy and profitable day.) Ranma said 'thank you' to Kasumi as he left. Akane didn't think that too odd. After all, according to Jeff, Kasumi was the one responsible for getting Ranma out from under the 'man among men' pledge. It wasn't _that_ surprising he was grateful.   
  
Instead of walking along the fence top, he walked alongside Akane. That wasn't unheard of, but it was a little unusual. When the water ladle lady nailed him, he simply sighed, pulled a thermos out of his school bag and changed back. Normally Ranma didn't plan ahead that much. It might indicate a change.  
  
There were over halfway to school when Ranma suddenly jumped left, grabbed Akane in passing and completely avoided Shampoo's Bicycle of Death. Landing on concrete instead of Ranma threw Shampoo off balance. She almost careened into a nearby wall before she regained control. Although rattled just a hair, she began her speech anyway.  
  
"Shampoo not see airen for whole week. Make too too delicious ramen for airen." She pulled a bowl of ramen from her delivery box and presented it to the man she considered her husband. She did so with a drop dead sexy pose, even though Ranma usually didn't notice that sort of ploy.  
  
"No thanks, not hungry," Ranma answered. To Akane, Ranma looked more exasperated by Shampoo's presence than anything else.  
  
"Airen not want Shampoo's cooking because kitchen destroyer force feed him breakfast?" the purple haired Amazon asked pointedly.  
  
"Hey! I'm standing right here you know," Akane put in before realizing that if she wanted to observe, she shouldn't participate.  
  
Ranma turned his head enough to say "I'll handle this," to Akane before turning back to Shampoo. "Actually, Kasumi made breakfast. It was good. I ate a lot and I'm not really hungry right now."  
  
"Is airen feeling all right? After foreign man say he not let anyone bother airen, splash Shampoo and send to zoo, Shampoo escape and pay mercenary girl for hot scoop. Shampoo know airen have bad time with mother. Shampoo make too too good ramen for airen feel better."  
  
Ranma bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern Shampoo. But I have to get to school now. I promise that I'll talk with you after school today."  
  
Akane's anger rose at hearing that Ranma wanted to spend time with the Chinese bimbo. She got even madder when she heard Shampoo reply, "Airen take Shampoo to date, yes?" and leapt at Ranma to administer a glomp.  
  
Some of the anger evaporated when Ranma sidestepped the mega-hug and raised his arms to a blocking position. It almost completely disappeared when Ranma stated calmly, "No Shampoo, I said we would talk. This is not a date, don't even think of actin' like it is. I'm gonna leave Nerima for a while and I need ta talk to ya along with some other people before I go. Now excuse me, I havta get ta school."  
  
Ranma left two stunned young women behind him. Akane recovered first and hurried after Ranma. Ranma had actively avoided Shampoo, been sort of polite and seemed eager to get to school. Akane was beginning to get scared. Next up on a normal day would be a fight with Kuno. How would Ranma react to an attack?  
  
Shampoo stared as Ranma walked into the distance. The kitchen destroyer hurried to catch up with her reluctant husband. Shampoo quietly said "Airen?" but there was no one there to hear her.  
  
-----  
  
Kuno Tatewaki strode across the school grounds like a samurai of days gone by. He'd have fit perfectly in the 16th century. Unfortunately those days were long gone and he therefore looked like an idiot. Tendo Nabiki had just sold him information most valuable. The dread sorcerer Saotome Ranma would be returning to Furinkan High School that day. Kuno knew that the magician's absence had been because he, Kuno Tatewaki, the great Blue Thunder, had defeated him, even if for some reason he couldn't remember doing so. Perhaps after defeating Saotome again, he could free the pig tailed girl from the fiend.  
  
Hiroshi stood with Daisuke near the entrance to Furinkan High. While mostly paying attention to girls, they heard and saw Kuno-sempai stroll past muttering to himself.  
  
"Did he say Ranma was coming back today?" Daisuke asked his friend.  
  
"I believe he did," Hiroshi replied.  
  
"Think we should get some money down on the fight?"  
  
"Please Daisuke, Ranma could be in a coma and still beat Kuno."  
  
"No doubt about that," Daisuke admitted, continuing, "but since Kuno hasn't been knocked out for a week, he's actually had time to recover from his prior injuries. He might last longer than six seconds, especially if Ranma hasn't been practicing."  
  
"Did you buy information from Nabiki that you haven't told me about?"  
  
"No, no, not at all Hiroshi. Just a feeling."  
  
"I think you'd be throwing your money away."  
  
"You're thinking under six seconds?" Daisuke inquired.  
  
"If I were to bet on this," Hiroshi began sagely, "I'd go off the board entirely. I heard that American student-teacher, the one who was here a few months back, had something to do with Ranma missing school."  
  
"The guy that beat Kuno and sorta drew Shampoo?"  
  
"The very same."  
  
"Hmm... That could change things a bit. Perhaps we should see if he's about Hiroshi."  
  
"After you Daisuke," his friend replied before they left to scout out the grounds.  
  
Unfortunately, because they were scouting, they missed their chance to get in on the action. Hiroshi's hunch about going off the board would have paid. Ranma entered the school grounds. Kuno noticed this and began one of his speeches. Ranma walked right past the ranting would be samurai without so much as a glance. By the time Kuno finished his speech, Ranma had already entered the building. Finding his target gone, Kuno thought for a moment, decided that the cowardly Saotome had conceded defeat and went to change into his own school uniform for the day.  
  
-----  
  
At lunchtime, Ukyo offered Ranma one of her deluxe special okonomiyaki, but as with Shampoo's food on the way to school, Ranma turned it down. He explained that he hadn't been very active lately, and therefore hadn't been eating much. Kasumi's bento should be more than enough to see him through.  
  
Ukyo thought to herself, 'Ran-chan's turning down food? My food? What did his mother _do_ to him? What should I do? I mean, I want to be supportive, but I don't want to act clingy like Shampoo.' Suddenly inspired, she said, "That's all right. But if you want to talk, I'll be there."  
  
"Thank you. I do wanna talk to ya sometime before I go to America."  
  
"You can come by the Ucchan after school," Ukyo said hopefully.  
  
"Can't," Ranma replied, "I'm goin' to the Cat Cafe to talk ta Shampoo and Cologne and probably fight Mousse."  
  
"Oh. Well what about after school tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure thing Uc-chan."  
  
Satisfied by the promise, Ukyo sat down and ate the okonomiyaki she'd made for Ranma herself.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma spotted Mousse as he approached the Cat Cafe. The part time duck peered at his surroundings through thick glasses. Since he knew Mousse preferred not to wear them, Ranma figured that Mousse was looking specifically for him. 'Might as well get this done,' Ranma thought as he reviewed Mousse's preferred opening moves.  
  
Mousse identified the black and red blur in front of him. "Peace Saotome. I've got no beef with you today," Mousse stated. This had the effect of throwing Ranma off badly.  
  
Ranma blinked. "Not that I mind, but why no 'Die Saotome'?"  
  
"Talked with your gaijin bodyguard. He's got the right idea. You just have a nice long trip."  
  
"Jeff ain't my bodyguard," Ranma answered irately.  
  
"Whatever. But your absence won't bother me at all."  
Ranma wasn't stupid, he knew why. "Only if Shampoo don't follow me."  
  
Mousse polished his glasses before he answered, "True. But Shampoo's English is worse than her Japanese. I'd probably be sent along as translator if she does decide to follow you. Either way works for me."  
  
"Whatever, but you better practice your English."  
  
Ranma moved past Mousse and steeled himself as he entered the Cat Cafe. This wouldn't be easy.  
  
Cologne was first to notice Ranma's presence. "Good afternoon, son-in-law. Finally come to accept your marriage to my great-granddaughter?"  
  
"No. I told Shampoo I wanted ta talk to her, so here I am."  
  
Cologne told Shampoo to sit at one of the booths and turned over the work of running the restaurant to Shampoo's father. Cologne had heard rumors of what happened to Ranma over the weekend. She neither encouraged or discouraged Shampoo's first attempt to visit. She simply forbade additional trips. The strange gaijin who had involved himself in Ranma's affairs before had returned and he was a complication best avoided. Either way, she decided to join the conversation, invited or not.  
  
After getting the unpleasantries over with, Ranma quickly got to the point. "I'm going ta America for a while and I don't know for sure when I'll get back. But I wanted ta talk to you and the old gh... Cologne before I left."  
  
"Aiyah!" Shampoo exclaimed. "Airen want Shampoo to go America with airen?"  
  
"An excellent idea son-in-law. Travel is a broadening experience, even for one such as myself," Cologne added. 'Haven't been to the States in ages. I wonder if San Francisco has changed any?'  
  
The bottom fell out of Ranma's stomach. This was _not_ going as planned. 'Arrgh! Think first. Then talk,' Ranma told himself. Shampoo already followed him from her village to Nerima. It would be just like her to follow him some more. Before things could spiral further out of control, Ranma made a desperate attempt to regain the initiative. Ranma slapped both hands on the table as he stood up, breaking into Shampoo's 'Life with Ranma in America' fantasy. "No! I didn't say that! For once will you just listen?"  
  
Cologne knew what Ranma had and hadn't said, but Shampoo was harder to bring back to reality.   
  
"Airen no want Shampoo?" the purple haired Amazon cried. Tears were normally quite effective against men in general and Ranma in particular. Shampoo believed Ranma would be putty in her hands in mere moments.  
  
"Shampoo, you are _not_ coming with me," Ranma began fiercely. "Nobody is coming with me. But I swear, on _my_ honor, if you use me bein' gone to attack anybody, you will regret it."  
  
"Growing a spine son-in-law?" Cologne asked offhandedly. If she didn't know better, she'd suspect Ranma still held a grudge over the Reversal Jewel incident.  
  
"More like a whole skeleton old gh- Cologne," Ranma retorted before he turned and left the restaurant.  
  
Shampoo was shocked at Ranma's forcefulness. Cologne wondered if the boy had finally been pushed too far. Less than five minutes after Ranma left the Cat Cafe, Cologne was dialing Tendo Nabiki. She would pay the mercenary for all the information that she had about Jeffery Anderson before deciding on a course of action. The man seemed to have some sort of influence over son-in-law. After completing the call and arranging delivery of the limited information the middle Tendo girl had sold her, Cologne retired to her room to do some serious thinking on the current situation and the possible outcomes.   
  
Despite Ranma's undeniable skills, Cologne had growing doubts about Ranma's ability to be brought into the Joketzu. If her great-granddaughter proved capable of bringing Ranma in, so much the better. But even if she managed the feat, could the Joketzu survive such a disruptive spirit? Ranma was as willful a male as she had ever met. His mere presence could cause the other males of the Joketzu to forget their places.  
  
Times were changing faster than Cologne liked. Three thousand years of Amazon tradition meant little these days. Not in a world increasingly dominated by technology. The 'battle suits' that Shampoo and the others had fought the last time the American had been in Nerima, one did not need to be a warrior to use them. Amazon pride aside, Cologne knew that most Joketzu would fall to an attack from such devices. How could the old laws deal with something like that?  
  
Life as the Joketzu knew it was ending. To continue in the ways of the past, without acknowledging the present or planning for the future, would doom her people. Cologne recognized the need for change. But how to get the rest of her people to see what she had seen? It would take time, thought and careful planning. The latter two were no problem, but would there be time?   
  
-----  
  
The way Saturday began felt a little more normal to Akane. Ranma had overslept, so she had to practically drag him to school after a hurried breakfast. Once on the school grounds, Kuno had said something about defeating Ranma 'yet again' and rushed to the attack while mouthing some nonsense about rescuing his   
'beloveds'. Ranma gave Akane an irritated look and then things got a little strange.  
  
Ranma bobbed below Kuno's first sword thrust. Normal enough. But then Ranma snatched the bokken from Kuno's grasp and snapped it in two. Then four. Then eight. Splinters of wood soon littered the ground.   
  
"Unless you wanna attack me bare-handed Kuno-sempai, we're done now," Ranma stated coolly. Not waiting for a response, Ranma turned and strode for the school doors.  
  
"How dare that fiend treat the weapon of the great 'Blue Thunder' in such a manner," Kuno said to no one in particular.  
  
"Be grateful he didn't do it to you Kuno-chan," Nabiki commented as she passed by.  
  
Akane realized that she was just standing there, just as shocked as Kuno, even if for other reasons. She hurriedly followed her sister into the school building.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma spent most of the abbreviated school day in the vice-principal's office. For once, it wasn't for disciplinary reasons. There was quite a bit of paperwork required before Ranma could leave as a foreign exchange student. He didn't know when Jeff had found the time to set it up, but as far as Furinkan High was concerned, Ranma was going abroad for his education for the remainder of the school year.  
  
Seeing how quickly everything was being expedited, Ranma smelled a rat. It might have been Jeff being a good rat. It might have been Kuno-koucho being a bad rat. 'Might be both,' Ranma mused as yet another document was presented for him imprint with his hanko. Ranma figured that between Akane, Ukyo and *shudder* Kuno-sempai, keeping the mad principle under control shouldn't be much of a problem, so he chose not to worry about it.  
  
After school, Ranma walked with Akane and Ukyo to Ucchan's. The walk over was quiet, neither girl wanting to speak with the other present. Once they got to the restaurant, Ranma asked that Ukyo stay closed until the talk was over. Ukyo agreed, but still prepped for business, warming up the grill and readying her base stocks of batter, cabbage and yakisoba noodles.  
  
"I want both of ya to promise me sumthin'," Ranma began abruptly.  
  
"What?" Akane asked suspiciously while Ukyo answered "Sure."  
  
"I want ya to look out for each other while I'm gone."  
  
"Why?" asked both girls.  
  
"I don't trust Shampoo and Cologne... Well mostly Shampoo. I don't think the old ghoul would start nothin', but Shampoo might take shots at both of ya if I ain't around."  
  
"Don't flatter yourself Ranma," Akane chided.  
  
"Don't brush it off like it can't happen," Ranma retorted.  
  
"I'm a martial artist I c-" Akane began angrily.  
  
"Can take care of yourself," Ranma finished for her. "Akane, you were able to take out a buncha morons every morning before school, but Shampoo would eat ya alive in a real fight."  
  
"Hmmph," Akane snorted and got on her high horse. Nothing Ranma said would affect her there.  
  
Ukyo just shook her head at Akane's inability to admit when she was outclassed. Confidence was one thing, but overconfidence could get you stomped. Ukyo hadn't had a real mix up with Shampoo, but knew that unless she fought her very best, she'd go down to the Amazon eventually. In comparison, Akane would be easy pickings. "Should I?", she asked Ranma, holding up a brace of throwing spatulas.  
  
Ranma merely nodded.  
  
Akane lasted longer than Ranma figured. She avoided two sets of spatulas, which was one more than he had counted on. When the third set pinned her jacket to the doorframe, Akane wasted no time slipping free from the restraint. Unfortunately, not fast enough to avoid getting a smack on the hip from the flat of Ukyo's combat spatula. It stung, but didn't really slow her.  
  
"Ranma! Don't just sit there!" Akane yelled.  
  
Ranma just sat there. Ukyo pressed her attack with several quick slashes designed to keep Akane moving. Akane yanked a stool from the floor and blocked Ukyo's next two swings. But Akane's first offensive swing with the stool was her last. Ukyo deflected the attack, pivoted around the contact point, and unleashed a crashing blow with the handle of the spatula to Akane's jaw.  
  
Staggered, Akane dropped the stool, and tried to back away to regain her equilibrium. "Ranma?!" she cried to no avail.  
  
Ukyo, determined to finish what she started, pressed her advantage. Using the edge of her spatula to keep Akane wary, Ukyo kept backing Akane up until there was no place left for her to go. In desperation, Akane leapt up and over Ukyo to gain some space. But the tight quarters of the restaurant didn't have sufficient headroom for such a maneuver. Akane's feet banged against the ceiling and her trajectory was ruined. She fell, head first, toward the floor.   
  
Akane's arms shot out to try for a break fall, but it wasn't necessary as Ranma bounded in to catch his 'uncute' fiancee. Relief over being spared a painful impact with the floor was overwhelmed by anger at Ranma for doing nothing before then. She tried to slug Ranma, but he blocked her. Not a dodge or a duck, but a solid block. It felt like hitting iron.  
  
Nonplused, Ranma laid it out for Akane. "Ukyo just beat ya without taking a hit. You did better than I thought ya would, but ya still lost. Shampoo would make mincemeat out of you. If you try to fight her, you'll lose."  
  
"I wasn't ready," Akane protested feebly.  
  
"That's no excuse sugar," Ukyo put in while retrieving her throwing spatulas. Once the stool was re-bolted to the floor, the only damage to Ucchan's would be a few gouges here and there.  
  
"Ucchan's right. You think Shampoo'd give up surprise? She don't care how she gets sumthin', as long as she gets it. I already told her if she attacked anybody while I was gone, she'd regret it."  
  
"Like that'll stop her," Ukyo replied rhetorically.  
  
"I hope so. I really do. But will you two look out for each other? Just in case."  
  
Ukyo nodded her agreement, but an emotional Akane bolted from Ucchan's instead. "I better go after her Ucchan. Just do me one more favor."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Talk to Pops or Mr. Tendo and see if they'll start teaching ya some Anything Goes. Just in case _somebody_ disarms ya or catches ya unarmed." Ranma didn't wait for a response before dashing out of the restaurant after Akane.  
  
'He cares', Ukyo thought. 'He really does. But why won't he love me the way I love him?' It was a distracted young woman that returned to the task of running an okonomiyaki shop.  
  
-----  
  
Akane ran as fast as she could. She didn't know whether to be mad at Ranma for deriding her fighting skills or at Ukyo for proving Ranma right. What did Ranma mean when he said she'd done better than he thought she would? If Ukyo had used the edge of her spatula instead of the flat on that first strike, the fight would have been over right then.  
  
'I can't cook. I can't sew. I can't swim. I can't even fight. I'm completely useless,' Akane told herself again and again as she ran through the streets.   
  
Eight kilometers later, she ran out of steam and leaned against a wall to cry.   
  
"Akane... ya can't... just run from... your problems," Ranma panted from the top of the wall.   
  
Akane was mildly pleased to see that Ranma was catching his breath. But her next words were still fueled by anger. "Why not? It's what you're doing, isn't it? Just run off to America with Jeff and leave all your problems behind," Akane cried out through her tears.  
  
Ranma sighed, leapt down from his perch and explained quietly, "Akane, I may be leavin', but only so I can solve my problems. And I'm comin' back. I promised my mother, and I'm promising you. I _will_ come back."  
  
"Why bother?" Akane demanded. "Why come back to an uncute tomboy who can't cook, can't swim and can't fight?"  
  
"Akane, you're a good martial artist..."  
  
"No I'm not. Don't try to tell me that," Akane sobbed.  
  
"Let. Me. Finish. You're a good martial artist, for a normal person. But how many normal people do we know? Shampoo can bash through concrete walls without spilling a bowl of ramen. Ryoga breaks boulders with a finger. Mousse's hidden weapons outweigh Mousse. Happosai and Cologne are both a hundred years old and can do lots of stuff I can't. Heck, even Kuno chops down trees with a bokken. You think that's normal?" Ranma finished in a light-hearted tone.  
  
Halfway through the list, Akane stopped crying. Her anger evaporated with her tears. "No," she answered quietly.  
  
"Then stop worrying about stuff ya can't change and work on the stuff ya can," Ranma said.  
  
Akane didn't think that what Ranma said made much sense, but she was glad that he was there anyway. Without another word, the two headed for home.  
  
END CHAPTER 4  
  
----- 


	5. The Long Goodbye, part 2

Choices Made, Roads Taken.   
Chapter 5: The Long Goodbye, part 2  
  
What has gone before: Jeff Anderson, the retired superhero known as Tach, has rescued Ranma from his mother and the 'man among men' seppuku pledge. Shaken by the event, Ranma decides to leave Japan with Jeff for a while to sort out his life in what he hopes will a more peaceful environment.  
  
Most of the arrangements for departure have been made, but there a few final details to take care of.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff sat on the floor, his PDA hooked up to the Tendo phone line, checking his various e-mail accounts. He noticed Akane approaching, so he shut down his e-mail program and disconnected.  
  
"Jeff, what do you think of me as a martial artist?" Akane asked.  
  
"I'm not a martial artist. How should I know?"  
  
"Just tell me," Akane began heatedly before calming herself. "I need an opinion from someone who'll tell the truth."  
  
"I told you what I thought the first time we sparred. You're strong, you have good endurance and you recover well. You're also too aggressive and when you're grappled, you panic."  
  
"Am I slow?" Akane asked, her eyes downcast.  
  
Jeff paused before answering, "You want an honest opinion? By my standards, yes."  
  
"Thank you," Akane muttered while turning away.  
  
"Akane, wait," Jeff said. "You might be slow, but that doesn't mean you can't get faster. Tell me... what kind of training do you do?"  
  
-----  
  
Ranma leapt from rooftop to rooftop heading east. He carried a thermos of hot water, a bottle of cold water and Ryoga's pack minus the weights and the 'Umbrella of Doom'. Past Ikebukuro Station, past the expressway, finally reaching Kasuga-dori Avenue. 'All I gotta do is follow this, and I'll get ta Ueno,' Ranma told himself.  
  
Ranma knew that when Shampoo had come to visit, Jeff had splashed her and shipped her off to the Ueno Zoo. But Ranma knew she had escaped because she'd told him so. Ryoga had got the same treatment when he showed up. Ranma hoped that Ryoga was still at the zoo. He knew that Ryoga could actually be anywhere, but Ueno was a good place to start looking.  
  
The Ueno district is a major cultural center for Tokyo and all of Japan. There were museums that Ranma had been dragged through on school trips, several shrines and temples, as well as other landmarks like the Five Storied Pagoda. Since it was beautiful early autumn afternoon, the place was packed with families visiting the various sites. Not to mention the tent city of Toyko's homeless population.  
  
Ranma made his way through the crowds along the west side of Shinobazu Pond. Looking around, he asked himself, "If I was a pig, where would I be?' As he made his way toward the aquarium, Ranma spotted a sign reading 'Children's Zoo'. "Yatta," he said aloud as he began following the signs.  
  
Ranma searched through the domestic animal section of the zoo without finding a small black pig. He was just about to give up the search when he spotted a young woman feeding the animals. She wore a name tag that read 'Kimura Sueno, Veterinary Intern'. Ranma reminded himself to be polite before he started speaking.  
  
"Excuse me miss. Has a small black pig with a yellow and black bandana come through here in the last few days?" Ranma asked.  
  
The woman stared at Ranma through her large round glasses and answered, "Why... yes."  
  
"He belongs to my fiancee and one of my friends 'borrowed' him for a joke."  
  
"Anyone who steals a pet wouldn't be a friend of mine," Sueno replied sharply.  
  
"It was all a big mistake," Ranma lied.  
  
"Follow me, we'll see if he's still here," the woman said before leading Ranma through a gate marked 'Employees Only'.  
  
"'Still here' meaning?"   
  
"Well he's escaped twice. He was returned only by accident the first time. It was strange. A little girl had fallen in the pond. There must of been a hundred idiots standing there watching, but the pig dove in and pushed her to shore."  
  
'That sounds like Ryoga,' Ranma thought. As long as Ranma was not involved, you could count on Ryoga to do the right thing. It was one of the things Ranma liked about his friend and rival. Sueno opened the door to a small building that looked a cross between a barn and a house. They continued walking down a long hallway.  
  
"Second time wasn't quite as strange. We'd put him in a cage so he wouldn't wander off, but he managed to pop the spring latch that held the door shut. Personally, I think somebody forgot to close the cage door all the way. One of my co-workers found him in the men's locker room."  
  
"Well, P-chan is pretty clever for a pig," Ranma said.  
  
"P-chan?"  
  
"That's what my fiancee calls him. I prefer 'bacon breath'."  
  
Sueno chuckled at the joke. "He's in here," she said while inserting a key into a door marked 'Veterinary Lab'. As soon as the door was open more than a crack, a black and yellow blur leapt out the room past Sueno.  
  
Ranma snatched the airborne projectile and was promptly bitten for his trouble. "It's him," he ground out while trying to remove P-chan's teeth from his arm.  
  
"He's never acted like that before," the slightly shaken veterinary intern said.  
  
"We don't really get along that well."  
  
"He must know you if he's reacting like that. Normally, there would be a slew of paperwork to fill out about this. But since the only thing I found that says he should be here at all are a couple of e-mails, you can just take him with you."  
  
"Thank you very much Kimura-san," Ranma said, bowing politely with P-Chan still biting his forearm.  
  
Sueno continued offhandedly, "Kind of a shame really. Doctor Kitamura said he'd let me do the castration. I mean I've done cats and dogs several times, but I've never castrated a pig."  
  
P-chan stopped biting Ranma and became very, very still.  
  
"I think Akane would rather have him in one piece," Ranma said. P-chan nodded for all he was worth.  
  
Sueno led Ranma to an employee's exit and returned to her duties. Once they were outside, Ranma held P-chan up and spoke. "I've got a thermos of hot water and your clothes. Once I find someplace private, I'll change ya back. Then we're gonna have a talk. And I mean 'talk' cause if ya even try ta throw a punch, I've got a bottle of cold water for ya too. And I'm sure Kimura-san would love ta do that operation if she gets the chance."  
  
The whole performance looked pretty strange to the passers-by, but Ranma didn't care. Ryoga knew that Ranma had him this time and nodded in defeat.  
  
-----  
  
"So basically, you jog, lift weights, break concrete blocks and beat on straw dummies," Jeff said. He'd had Akane demonstrate her concrete breaking technique before having her run through a few katas against a straw dummy built around a couple of lashed together beams. The concrete was the only thing that impressed Jeff.   
  
"It sounds bad when you say it like that," Akane replied tersely.  
  
"Actually, the concrete thing is kind of cool. I don't think I could do anywhere near that well. But you don't get that kind of time to prep a punch in a real fight."  
  
"So it's useless then?"  
  
"I didn't say that. When you broke those blocks, you were focused and disciplined. Which is good because if you weren't, you'd break your hand."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"But you need to realize that what's good in practice doesn't always work in real life."  
  
"So what should I do? It's not like anyone around here will actually spar with me," Akane pointed out.  
  
"Well first..." Jeff began before noticing Kasumi entering the yard carrying a laundry basket. "Ooh. Perfect example." Raising his voice, Jeff called across the yard, "Kasumi, could you come here for a minute please?"  
  
"I am rather busy at the moment," Kasumi called back.  
  
"Me and Akane will take care of that," Jeff replied.  
  
Knowing that Jeff was as good as his word, Kasumi set down the laundry basket and walked over to the practice dummy. "What can I do for you Jeff?"  
  
"Could you punch the dummy in the chest once please? I need to see something."  
  
"Oh my, I haven't done any martial arts in years," Kasumi protested.  
  
Jeff smiled and said, "Humor me."  
  
Kasumi stepped up to the dummy, made a fist, drew it to her side palm up and threw a straight punch at the dummy, twisting her wrist on impact. It wasn't a hard punch, but it was properly done including the fact that Kasumi exhaled on the release.  
  
"Thank you. Akane, you take care of the girly stuff, I'll do the rest," Jeff said before walking over to the clothes basket, picking up one of Ranma's shirts and clipping it to the clothesline.  
  
"What was that about?" asked Kasumi.  
  
"I don't know onee-chan, but I'm going to find out," Akane replied before walking over to where Jeff was hanging up one of her father's many identical brown gi tops. She fished out one of her own tops and added it to the clothesline.  
  
Kasumi was glad that Jeff had been helping out with the housework during his stay. Keeping the fighting to a minimum also helped keep the Tendo home in good condition. But it was resulting in something that Kasumi hadn't had much of since Ranma's arrival. Spare time. She would have to figure out something to do with it.  
  
"What _was_ that all about?" Akane asked while hanging up a pair of Nabiki's shorts.  
  
"Two things," Jeff said. "First, anybody, even Kasumi, can hit a stationary target. You might try working with a two ended bag, it forces you to keep your guard up. And there are some agility drills I can show you too." Another shirt was clipped to the line.  
  
"I would appreciate that, thank you." Akane added one of her own blouses to the line before suddenly asking, "What was the second thing?"  
  
"That helping Kasumi with the laundry won't kill you."  
  
-----  
  
"How dare you leave Akane!" were the first words Ryoga said after returning to human form and pulling on some clothes.   
  
Ranma held an open water bottle where Ryoga couldn't help but see it. "I had a really bad weekend last week and I decided I gotta get away for a while and make some hard choices. It's a long version of the Saotome Ultimate Technique."  
  
"You mean running like a coward."  
  
Ranma drew a calming breath and tried again. "Do you even know what happened? Or did ya just hear I was leavin' and decide ta pound me?"  
  
Ryoga looked sheepish and admitted it was the second. Ranma explained the basics of what had occurred. Part of Ryoga rejoiced that Ranma had such trouble, that Ranma knew even a fraction of the hell that he'd been through. But another part thought that nobody deserved to have a promise made by someone else come that close to killing them. This left Ryoga in what many considered to be his natural state. Lost. In thought this time, but still lost.  
  
"So while I'm gone, I want ya ta keep an eye on Akane."  
  
"What?" Ryoga exclaimed as Ranma's request penetrated his brain and was unraveled.  
  
Ranma repeated himself. Ryoga managed another one word response. "Me?"  
  
Ranma detailed his last encounter with Shampoo and Cologne. "You think Akane might be in danger and you're leaving anyway? Ranma, you coward! Prepare to die!" Ryoga stood up and got ready to commit murder.  
  
Ranma waved the open bottle of water in front of him, splashed Ryoga and ended the threat. Ranma took a firm two handed grip on P-chan's body. "Talk time's over, so listen. Akane will be fine as long as you're there ta protect her. So be there."  
  
Ryoga thought of some of the advantages of an absent Ranma. So he shook his porcine head up and down and squealed "Bwee."  
  
"I'm glad ya see it my way. There's just enough hot water left ta change ya back again. Which is good cause I ain't about ta carry ya ta Nerima."  
  
Ryoga once more assumed human form and grudgingly followed Ranma. His immediate anger cooled, Ryoga asked Ranma about something that had been bothering him. "Who was that gaijin at the Tendo Dojo? He looked familiar somehow."  
  
Ranma laughed before answering, "That's Anderson Jeff. He's pretty cool. He kicked ya once when we were fighting at Furinkan. Figured out you were P-chan after he saw me turn into a girl."  
  
"I thought I'd seen him before. But I want to know how he splashed me. There was nobody else in the yard when I got there and before I can say a word, there's a splash and I'm a pig. I swear he never moved."  
  
"Jeff's got a few tricks up his sleeve. And for some reason, he don't like you much."  
  
"Explains why he said I was quote, lucky not to get an absolute ass kicking, unquote. But what'd I ever do to him?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"I think it has sumthin' ta do with ya sleeping with my fiancee," Ranma answered coldly. Somehow he managed not to kick Ryoga into next week or at least the nearest wall.  
  
Ryoga had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Oh. That."  
  
-----  
  
A few hours later, Ranma sat on the roof and looked out over the place he called home. The only home he could remember. If he chose to live with his parents, it might be the last night he ever spent here. 'Unless I marry Akane,' Ranma thought.  
  
His preparations were complete. A single large suitcase packed with clothes and a few mementos sat in his room. The passport he'd got after Jeff's last visit lay on top of it. Ranma's birth certificate had been brought by his parents when they arrived for dinner. The student-visa had arrived by courier earlier that afternoon. 'Kuno-koucho musta been dancing for joy.'  
  
He looked at the airline ticket in his hand. Although too dark to read, he looked at it anyway. Jeff had handed it to him just before he left for his own dinner. He'd wanted some of Ucchan's okonomiyaki before he left and didn't want to be there when Ranma's parents came to say goodbye. 'Not that I blame him.'  
  
His own 'last meal' had been... awkward. Despite Kasumi making a delicious eel teriyaki with all his favorite trimmings, Ranma had little appetite. Seeing his mother reminded him of exactly why he was leaving in the first place. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as soon as she arrived, and the tension in his stomach refused to go away. It was a terrible thing for someone who feared no man, to have such a reaction to his own mother. 'Can I ever forgive her? Should I?'  
  
Kasumi had wished him well. Nabiki had made cryptic comments he didn't feel like worrying about at the time. Tendo-san had wailed openly about Ranma leaving his daughter. Both Akane and Nodoka consoled Soun by revealing Ranma's promise to return. 'I wonder how long it'll be before I come back.'  
  
His father's goodbye was gruff and he told Ranma to be sure to practice his martial arts and that he planned to test his son on his return. His mother's goodbye was meant to be reassuring, but somehow wasn't. Akane went on and on about doing the agility drills Jeff had shown her. About how she would be a better martial artist when he returned. 'Wonder what America will be like.'  
  
Sitting on the roof, Ranma gazed at the not so far off lights of downtown Tokyo. He wondered why he hadn't thought of agility drills or something like that with Akane before. Then he remembered that Akane almost never _listened_ to him. Still, he hoped that she would do whatever it was that Jeff had shown her. If it made her happy, Ranma was all for it. 'I'm gonna miss Ak- this place.'  
  
It was nearly midnight before Ranma saw Jeff come in through the gate. He waved, saw Jeff wave back, then made his way to bed.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff really didn't want to deal with Ranma's parents. He thought both of them needed to be taken out and shot. He also didn't think he could eat eel teriyaki, even if Kasumi made it. He'd grown rather fond of Kasumi's cooking over the last few days, but there were things he wasn't willing to try. Not after Friday night anyway. He also wanted to see Ukyo again before he left. Maybe find out why his okonomiyaki wasn't anywhere near as good as hers. Besides, he liked Ukyo.  
  
The preparations he'd made for leaving Japan and taking Ranma with him were took longer than the ones he'd made to 'officially' arrive in Japan. He'd hacked his way into a travel agency and made it look like he was a passenger on a JAL flight. A little misdirection and a few TK tricks at Narita had got him line with the rest of the people wading through Customs. Carrying an overnight bag filled with clothes purchased at an all night department store, Jeff bluffed his way through Customs and Passport Control. Overall, it took less than five hours to legitimize his presence in Japan. All that had been done in the wee hours of Tuesday morning while the Tendo household slept.  
  
There had been considerable groundwork required before departure. He'd disassembled his staff and stun stars and shipped them out of the country via air express Friday afternoon. Even if anyone examined them closely, they shouldn't arouse suspicion. Labeled as machine parts, they didn't resemble much of anything in their current state. His binoculars, first aid kit and bullet proof trench coat were sent via a different carrier. The regular shuriken he dumped down a sewer along with his smoke bombs. They were too easily replaced to worry about arousing suspicion by shipping them home. The PDA was too useful not to keep with him and wouldn't arouse suspicion anyway.  
  
Plane tickets were paid for with a credit card account that would be used this one time, paid off with a money order and closed out. The part that had worried him, getting the student-visa, went so fast that Jeff swore somebody wanted Ranma gone and was happy at the chance. Given more time, he would have looked that particular gift horse in the mouth.  
  
There had been other details attended to, but Jeff felt that there should be no major problems. Jeff also spent some time keeping up with a few of his normal activities. The money had to keep flowing somehow.  
  
Eventually, Jeff made one last pass at his checklist and saw that everything was done. He felt that he had more than earned a good meal cooked by someone he thought of as a friend. Handing Ranma his ticket, Jeff left the Tendo home and made his way to Ucchan's.  
  
Jeff was met at the door by Ukyo. "Hi Jeff. Hope you didn't want to eat, because I just turned off the grill," the attractive young woman said.  
  
"Why?" Jeff had really been looking forward to getting once last good meal before being having to suffer through airline food.  
  
"Cause it's been slow all day and dead this afternoon. No sense in staying open when I don't have any customers," Ukyo answered.  
  
"Don't I count?"  
  
Ukyo eyed Jeff critically before answering, "Nah, but I'll cook for you anyway. C'mon in."  
  
Jeff noticed that Ukyo hung up the 'Closed' sign before she went behind the grill and fired up a small section of it. While Ukyo made Jeff a double beef okonomiyaki, Jeff helped straighten up the rest of the restaurant. It was only a few minutes before Jeff sat down to eat.  
  
"Glad you let me in. You're saving me from a fate worse than death," Jeff said has he polished off his food.  
  
"Oh really?" Ukyo asked curiously as she looked up from her math homework.  
  
"Ranma's parents are coming to the Tendo's for Ranma's goodbye dinner. We're leaving in the morning."  
  
"Why that little... He didn't invite me!" Ukyo said loudly.   
  
"He didn't invite anybody, so relax," Jeff responded waving his hands vaguely. "I didn't want to be there, so I thought I'd come over here."  
  
"Why not stay there?"  
  
"One, Kasumi was making eel teriyaki."  
  
"What's wrong with eel teriyaki?"  
  
"After barfing up the octopus she made Friday, I didn't want to take the chance."  
  
"What's wrong with octopus?"  
  
Jeff shuddered visibly. "Nothing, if you're used to it. I'm not. Can you say 'violently ill'?"  
  
Ukyo chuckled at the thought of someone having such a reaction to a food that she herself thought perfectly normal.  
  
Jeff continued, "Two. I didn't want to see Ranma's parents again. I might have told them what I really think of them. Since Ranma's still a minor, they could kill this trip if they really wanted. Better to avoid them entirely."  
  
Ukyo's smile left her face. She still had issues of her own with Genma. Ukyo wasn't happy with Nodoka either. Ranma had confirmed that Jeff blocked a killing stroke that night. Coming so close to losing Ranma forever still bothered Ukyo. "I see your point."  
  
"I mean, who is the worse parent? The father who drags his kid on an endless training journey, or the mother who lets him? The father who comes up with a 'man among men' seppuku pledge or the mother that accepts it and tries to enforce it. The father wh-"  
  
Ukyo interrupted, "You can stop now."  
  
"Sorry." Jeff pulled his PDA from his pocket and checked the clock feature. It was too soon to return to the Tendo's. Ranma's parents would probably still be there.  
  
"I need to kill a couple of hours. You want to catch a movie? My treat."  
  
"You mean like a date?" Ukyo asked cautiously.  
  
"No, like a couple friends going out to the movies. For some reason, my wife doesn't let me go on dates with other women since we got married. But I can go out with friends if I want," Jeff finished with a roguish grin.  
  
"I didn't know you were married."  
  
"You never asked." Jeff pulled out his wallet and fished out a few photos. "That's me and my wife Anne. That's my son Bill. That's Anne and Bill with my father-in-law Big Bill."  
  
"Your wife is pretty."  
  
"I think so. It's not the reason I married her though." Internally, Jeff continued, 'God only knows why she married me.'  
  
Ukyo looked at the pictures for a while before realizing she other things she should be doing. "I'd like to, but I have two pages of math homework to finish," Ukyo said tapping the open book in front of her.  
  
"Let me see that," Jeff said, taking both the math book and a stray sheet of paper. After a few seconds he pulled a mechanical pencil from his pocket and started scratching out answers in a precise hand. He used the math program on his PDA to do the few he couldn't solve on sight. Ukyo was too amazed at the speed in which Jeff was working to actively protest. All told, it took less than five minutes, including the problems Ukyo had already finished. Jeff handed the text back to the shocked young woman. "Done."  
  
"I hate you," Ukyo said in mock seriousness. "It would have taken me at least an hour to finish this."  
  
"What can I say, I like math," Jeff answered honestly.  
  
"Fine. But if I let other people do it for me, I'll never learn it myself."  
  
"Were you having any problems with it?"  
  
"No. Well, I don't think so."  
  
"Let me see your answers," Jeff requested. Ukyo handed them over and Jeff compared the two. "These are all correct. I think you understand the principles, all I did was save you a lot of grunt work."  
  
"I doubt my sensei would agree with you."  
  
"I won't tell if you won't. So how about that movie?  
  
Ukyo looked at the paper that she had been putting her answers on, looked at Jeff and then looked at her math textbook. "Let me grab a jacket."  
  
Jeff let Ukyo pick the movie, a slapstick comedy. Jeff didn't get all of the jokes, but there was enough physical schtick that he still had fun. He walked Ukyo back to her home and place of business and made his own goodbyes. When Jeff returned to the Tendo home, he spotted Ranma sitting on the roof. Ranma waved, he waved back and then went in to bed.  
  
-----  
  
The final goodbyes of the Tendos were nearly drowned out by the sound of falling rain. Kasumi and Akane looked as if they'd been crying. Soun wept openly. Nabiki, ever the mistress of her own emotions, reminded Ranma of the money he owed her. Jeff wrote her a check on the spot and told her to "stuff it" before grabbing his overnight bag and walking into the downpour.  
  
"What?" Nabiki protested upon seeing the looks directed at her. She folded the check and put it her organizer to be cashed later.  
  
Ranma just shook his head, grabbed his suitcase and walked after Jeff, his curse activating as soon as he was outside. There was no turning back now. Ranma hoped the dark, overcast, wet morning wasn't an omen of some kind.  
  
END CHAPTER 5  
  
----- 


	6. Changing Viewpoints

Choices Made, Roads Taken.  
Chapter 6: Changing Viewpoints  
  
What has gone before: Jeff (with help from Kasumi) has saved Ranma from the 'man among men' seppuku pledge. Ranma decides to leave Japan with Jeff for a while so he can make some hard choices about what he wants to do with his life. All the goodbyes have been said, so it's time to go to America.  
  
-----  
  
The farther they got from Nerima, the lighter the rain became. By the time they reached Narita International Airport, it had stopped completely. By the time their flight to Seattle left the ground, the sun was shining once more. By the time it reached cruising altitude, Jeff was fast asleep.  
  
Ranma listened to a 'Learn English Now!' disc that Jeff had picked up at the airport. It bored him senseless until he started figuring out the elements of a kata that could be done to it. 'Martial Arts Linguistics strikes again,' he thought before restarting the disc. Words and phrases were blows and blocks, grammar was the changes in body position required to make the blows flow together. Since Jeff was asleep, he stuck with it until the in-flight meal.  
  
"Jeff... Jeff... Jeff... Wake up dammit," Ranma said while giving the sleeping man's shoulder a shake.  
  
Jeff bolted upright, bounced off his seat belt and fell back into his reclined seat. There was the sound of a woman laughing. "Huh-wha-huh?"  
  
"The stewardess wants to know if you want anything to eat," Ranma stated, waving his hands in her general direction.  
  
"Ranma, from here on out, English only. The best way to learn it is to use it," Jeff answered in that language.  
  
"I try. You want food?" Ranma responded in the same language.  
  
Jeff leaned forward so he could address the stewardess himself. "What are my choices?"  
  
"We have Chicken Marsala with Glazed Carrots, Peppercorn Beef with Herb Potatoes and Broiled Mackerel with Pickled Vegetables," the stewardess replied. Her English sounded more British than American, but she spoke it well.  
  
Not selections that Jeff had expected on a flight from Japan, but because this _was_ an airline, he prepared for the worst. "I'll have the Chicken Marsala."  
  
"What would you like to drink?" the petite brunette asked. "We have a wide selection."  
  
"A large bottle of water will be fine."  
  
"Very well, and you sir?"  
  
There was an awkward pause before Ranma figured out that she meant him. "Me? Mackerel please. With hot tea."  
  
"Your food will arrive shortly." The busy woman then turned across the aisle and took the next set of orders.  
  
Jeff pulled his chair upright, unbuckled his seat belt and stretched as hard as he could in the restricted space. He excused himself to the bathroom, and by the time he returned, his food was waiting for him. Ranma was well into his own meal. The chicken was better than expected, but after a couple bites, he gave up on the carrots. To him, if a glazed carrot cooled off, it was no good.  
  
Ranma waited until Jeff had finished eating before speaking. "Thank you," he began.  
  
"For what?" Jeff asked.  
  
Ranma thought about it before answering. For saving his life? For giving him the chance to get his life in order? For paying off his debt to Nabiki? 'I'll have to make that one up to him.' For being a friend even though Ranma couldn't recall doing anything to deserve it? "Everything," he finally said.  
  
"You're welcome. Now excuse me, but I haven't got nearly enough sleep this week. Wake me up when we're ready to land," Jeff responded before reclining his seat again. He was asleep within minutes.  
  
Ranma understood about half of what Jeff had said. But it was obvious that Jeff wanted to sleep, so Ranma let him. Ranma was too excited to sleep. He'd been airborne before, but never in an airplane. It was an interesting experience. Since Jeff was reclined, Ranma could see out the window. The sky was such a deep blue, it was nearly black. He could see some wispy clouds that they were flying above. There may have been some specks of land below that, but he couldn't be sure.  
  
Ranma found himself with a chance to relax, so he did. By not paying attention to anything, he was able to take in everything. People talking and eating. Computer keys clicking. A whisper of music leaking from the headset of someone watching the in-flight movie. All this and, from the first class compartment, the sound of an argument. Ranma ignored the raised voices until there was a crash of glass and a woman's scream.  
  
Reflexes took over. Ranma was out of his seat and halfway up the aisle before he even noticed. Jeff was three steps behind him despite being asleep when the noise occurred. Ranma brushed past the magic curtain of first class and took in the scene with a glance.  
  
Beverage cart overturned, a couple of miniature bottles broken. A man: Presumably American, middle aged, overweight, balding and drunk. Stewardess: Japanese, mid twenties, in shock, with blood seeping from a row of puncture wounds on her left forearm. Detail: A fork, held in the man's right hand, jabbing forward.  
  
Despite having much farther to go than the fork, Ranma grabbed the drunken man's wrist before he could inflict another wound on the waitress. The beefy man tried to move his arm but couldn't. Finding his left arm still available, he attempted to slug Ranma. He was maybe two inches into his swing when Ranma casually rendered him unconscious with a back fist. The man slumped back into his leather chair.  
  
"Good job," Jeff said from the edge of first class.  
  
"Martial artist duty to protect," Ranma replied.  
  
'A hero's too,' Jeff thought to himself before searching for a first aid kit.  
  
-----  
  
"A little antibiotic ointment when you change bandages and you should be fine," Jeff told the stewardess as he finished treating the minor wounds.  
  
"Thank you very much Mister..." the woman paused.  
  
"Anderson."  
  
"Mister Anderson, and you as well Mister..."  
  
"Saotome. Saotome Ranma."  
  
"Thank you as well Mister Saotome."  
  
Ranma thought it odd to be referred to as Mister Saotome. 'That should be Pops, not me.' It bothered him somewhat. Ranma was so distracted that he didn't notice that the stewardess kissing him on the cheek until after it was all over. Remembering what Kodachi did after he saved her from a fall, Ranma's mind shut down after contemplating the woman in front of him doing something similar. He fainted on the spot.  
  
Jeff picked Ranma up and set him in an empty chair. "You'll have to forgive him. He's been under a lot of stress lately."  
  
-----  
  
The plane diverted to Anchorage to turn over the unruly passenger to a couple of no-nonsense Federal Sky Marshals. Ranma and Jeff both went over what happened several times. It took way too long by Jeff's standards. But at least the two were upgraded to first class for the rest of the flight.  
  
The delay was enough for them to miss their connecting flight. Because of the time change, it was now 3:00 AM the same morning they left. Jeff had done his fair share of traveling, jet lag was no stranger to him. For Ranma, it was a new experience. Having seen the sun come up, go down and it still end up the same day was strange.  
  
The two went through Customs. There was a brief hold-up while Ranma's student visa was checked. Ranma didn't understand the delay and Jeff, as his temporary legal guardian, explained it to him. There were also more questions about the incident on the way over. Jeff had to slip back into Japanese to counsel Ranma to be patient. Ranma, who had traveled between countries for his entire life without worrying about such things as passports and visas, was less than happy with all the waiting.  
  
Eventually, the two and their luggage were cleared, and they proceeded into the main part of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Jeff preferred it over LAX. There was a much lower chance of running into a meta-human battle in Washington.  
  
After getting their flight changed and finding they had at least an hour to kill, Jeff bought some drastically overpriced airport food and the two sat down and talked. Jeff was impressed with the speed in which Ranma was picking up English. He wasn't sure how Ranma was doing it though.  
  
Their new flight had a stop at Chicago O'Hare, so it was more than eight hours before the two touched down at La Guardia. Since it was a domestic flight, they simply gathered their limited luggage and took a taxi into Manhattan. The wait at the Queensboro bridge was only half an hour, which was pretty good considering that it was getting close to the end of the work day.  
  
Forward progress slowed the closer they got to Chelsea. Myrmidon fighting Base and Zapper, Jeff would later learn. Eventually, Jeff paid off the cabbie with a decent tip and the two walked the last kilometer to Jeff's building. The two ended up in front of a modest 12 story residential building.  
  
"You live here?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Yep," Jeff replied as he thought about his home. If it weren't for rent controls, Jeff knew that he'd never been able to afford to live there. He knew people paid over $3000 a month to live in comparable apartments on the same block. He'd beaten out several other possible tenants by offering a contract to repair the 11th story apartment and the penthouse directly above at his own expense. The damage had been caused during Strike Force Alpha's battle with the Fear Factory.  
  
Thus the rent was a ridiculously cheap $947.85 a month after the landlord signed off on the completed work. What the landlord didn't know was that when Jeff, Anne and his friends did the job, they'd built a narrow shaft that led to the roof among other things. The repairs hadn't been difficult. FreeFall worked construction in his civilian identity and had helped immensely. Jeff and Anne had done similar work themselves while building their 'summer retreat' in Canada the prior year.  
  
In fact, they'd been back from their annual Canada trip for only two weeks when Kasumi called to start the trip Jeff was just now returning from. Jeff had been tempted to take Ranma to Manitoba instead, but decided he needed to be in Manhattan to catch up on the money making part of his life.  
  
Ranma interrupted Jeff's reminiscence. "Problem?"  
  
"No," Jeff replied. "Just glad to be home."  
  
"Not home yet," Ranma observed before yawning. Despite a nap on the flight from Chicago, Ranma was getting tired. Jeff had slept much of the trip and was annoyingly wide awake.  
  
"I can fix that," Jeff answered as he used his key on the front entrance. Since the stairwell was for fire use only, Jeff led Ranma to the elevator. Soon the two stood in front of a door marked 1104 and as Jeff unlocked the second deadbolt, the door was opened by Jeff's wife.  
  
To Ranma, Anne looked to be an attractive woman Jeff's age. About the same height as Kasumi, she had a slightly larger, more muscular build than the eldest Tendo daughter. Her straight black hair fell loosely past her shoulders and a she wore a smile on her oval shaped face. She was dressed in a red T-shirt and purple sweat pants with a pair of flats.  
  
To Jeff, she looked like home.  
  
Ranma reflexively started to pull off his slippers before remembering that most Americans wore shoes all the time. The fact there were no storage boxes or guest slippers was a clue as well.  
  
Jeff introduced the two. "Anne meet Ranma. Ranma meet the mother of my child, my far better half and someone who married me even though she probably shouldn't have, my wife Anne." He reached out and drew her in for a brief kiss. It would have been longer, but there was company present.  
  
Ranma missed most of want Jeff said, but he figured out the important part of it. Bowing, he said, "Thank you for taking me into your home Anderson-san."  
  
Her smile brightened even more. "Please, call me Anne. And don't believe everything my husband tells you." She led Ranma to the living room couch. In front of the couch was a playpen containing a supply of colorful toys and a seven month old who was smashing two plastic rings together.  
  
"That's my boy!" Jeff called from behind Ranma. Jeff picked up his son from the playpen and bounced him up and down for a moment. "How's my little man? How's my little man?" Jeff asked the infant with a silly voice while lifting him towards the ceiling. Suddenly, Jeff wrinkled his nose. "Ooh. My little man needs a new diaper," he stated in closer to normal tones.  
  
Ranma, exhausted and jet lagged, fell asleep before the diaper change was finished.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma awoke to find a light blanket draped over him. It was very quiet except for some sounds coming from his left. Looking over, he saw Anne, dressed similarly to last night, standing at the sink, washing dishes.  
  
She noticed Ranma stir and asked, "Would you like some breakfast?"  
  
Food, being very important in the life of Ranma Saotome, was an area he'd concentrated on when using Martial Arts Linguistics to learn English. "Yes please." The 'please' was because one of the decisions that Ranma had come to as a result of his near death experience was a determination to be more polite. It hadn't been easy, but it seemed to be paying off.  
  
"How do you want your eggs?"  
  
Ranma didn't know the words for 'over easy', so he just said "Ahh..." and flipped his hand over. Anne seemed to understand him and quickly started breakfast.  
  
After asking about, locating and using the bathroom, Ranma sat at the small kitchen table and looked at what Anne expected him to eat. Four eggs over easy, two large sausage patties, two slices of wheat toast with butter and jelly set out, a tall glass of orange juice and a large mug of hot water with two tea bags. "Jeff eat this much?"  
  
"Everything but the tea," Anne answered. "Back when he was still 'active', he ate more, but he's slowed down since."  
  
"Where is Jeff?" Ranma asked while starting in on the food set in front of him. Not up to Kasumi's or Ukyo's standards, but good enough.  
  
"Working." A more detailed description tried and failed to make it past the language barrier. Jeff was taking care of things he'd let slide while rescuing Ranma.  
  
The two talked for most of the morning while Anne helped Ranma get settled. While Jeff had been gone, she'd converted the workout room into a guest bedroom. The weights and disassembled workout gear were piled in the bottom of the closet. A new futon-couch was against one wall. A simple wooden desk and roller chair competed for space with a chest of drawers along the wall opposite. There was enough space left over for Ranma to engage in some restricted calisthenics or stationary katas. At least with the futon in couch form. The ceiling was about three and a half meters. Barely enough height for jumping jacks, but it would do.  
  
When asked, Ranma demonstrated his curse to Anne. Like her husband, she didn't react much. Turned out she'd seen stranger things in the four years she had known Jeff, not to mention the year and a half they'd been married. It felt strange to have his curse accepted so calmly by someone he'd just met. Strange, but good. He used hot water straight from the tap to transform back. No waiting for a kettle to boil here.  
  
The day went quietly. Ranma worked on his English. After lunch, because it was a bright, sunny autumn day, Anne took Lil' Bill and Ranma to Chelsea Park for a couple hours. Ranma was glad for a chance to stretch his legs. He also wanted a look around the city he found himself in. Manhattan was crowded like Tokyo, but not as clean. Nor as friendly. Most people kept very much to themselves. There were bars over all the windows less than five stories off the ground. He spotted a woman flying high over head. She hovered briefly over the park and vanished as Ranma watched.  
  
"Don't worry, she's one of ours," Anne told Ranma when he asked about it.  
  
They returned to the apartment and Anne suggested that he write a letter home. Ranma agreed and sat down at his desk to do so, but then wondered exactly who 'home' was. He still hadn't come up with an answer by the time Jeff knocked on his door.  
  
"Ranma, you feeling all right?" Jeff looked sharp in a gray pinstripe suit, even with his collar undone. Ranma had never seen him dressed this way before. Was this the 'real' Jeff?  
  
"I feel... fine," Ranma answered.  
  
"You ready for a long talk about what you're going to be doing while you're here?"  
  
"Not really," Ranma admitted. "Best to do anyway."  
  
"Well then, let's talk," Jeff said, sitting down on the futon couch.  
  
Ranma had expected something like this. Jeff had come halfway around the world to save his life. He'd gone through a lot of trouble to get Ranma out of Japan on a student visa. He'd even paid off his debts to Nabiki. It was now time to see what Jeff wanted in return. Ranma was willing to pay the price. His sense of honor demanded that he try his best to balance the slate between them.  
  
"First off, let me tell you that what happens next is pretty much up to you. I can arrange for you to attend a local high school and you can really be a foreign exchange student. No strings. You go to school like a normal guy, and lead as normal a life as you can for a while. Once you've got yourself together, you can go back to Japan and that will be that."  
  
Ranma knew he couldn't do 'normal'. His life just didn't work that way. "What are... choices?"  
  
"Me and Anne can tutor you here. Anne would handle reading, history and English. I would handle math, science and other things. Either way, you will work on your education. I owe that much to you and your parents for dragging you over here."  
  
"You not drag, I come because I want to come. But what I need school for? That not help martial arts."  
  
"The other things include my former job. But why on Earth would you think a martial artist doesn't need an education?"  
  
"What I need know math for? Can count punches now."  
  
That started a discussion on the merits of scholarship. If Ranma expected to run a dojo, and he did, someday, he'd have to know enough math to keep the books, set prices for lessons, and make enough of a profit to support himself and any family he had. Jeff tore Ranma's arguments apart like tissue paper, even though he repeatedly slipped into Japanese to explain things that Ranma didn't have the vocabulary for yet.  
  
"Or you could just let Nabiki handle all that for you and not have a yen to your name as long as you live," Jeff finished.  
  
"All right, you win," Ranma said in surrender. "You have all answers."  
  
"Not all of them, just the easy ones. Now where was I? Oh yeah, my former profession. If you want, you could get into that. You've already got the physical skills for the job. I can teach you some of the non-physical things."  
  
"Like..."  
  
"Rules of Engagement. Evidence Collection. Secret Identities. Spookers. Dealing with the public, the press, the police and other problems. All the stuff I had to figure out the hard way when I started doing this."  
  
"You really think I can be super hero?"  
  
"Ranma, I think you can be any damn thing you really want. All you need is the chance."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"I won't lie. It's a dangerous job. You could get killed. I've seen it happen. Hell, it happened to Fastball. People you've never met will hate you, while others will worship you. You could end up fighting things that make Ryoga look like a walk in the park. And I flat guarantee you: You will see things you wish you hadn't."  
  
"Already done that," Ranma said thinking of his mother staring at the edge of the Saotome clan sword.  
  
"Doesn't surprise me."  
  
"So why? If job is so bad, why do it?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Because it needs to be done. If you have the ability, you have the responsibility."  
  
"Then why did you stop?"  
  
"I haven't stopped, I just changed the way I do things. I moved from a more active role to a support role. From working in the public eye to working behind the scenes. There are days I do more good for the world in my workshop or at a computer keyboard than I ever managed to do by punching someone."  
  
"I'm not smart like you. I'm better off punching," Ranma said self deprecatingly.  
  
"You're smarter than you let on. Heck, I'll even prove it to you," Jeff said waving his hands. "Say your fighting someone who can block or dodge ninety six percent of your punches."  
  
"Like Cologne?"  
  
"Doesn't matter who. You also know it'll take 14 hits to knock this person out. How many punches should you expect to throw?"  
  
Ranma's hands blurred into motion. "Three hundred fifty," Ranma answered after making 14 phantom punches in under two seconds.  
  
"Bingo. Next question: What's 28 divided by 8%?"  
  
Ranma picked up a pen from his desk and worked on the problem. Thirty seconds later he said dejectedly, "Three hundred fifty."  
  
"Yep. The first question was associated with fighting, so you answered it easily. I'll even bet you were counting by twenty fives when you where throwing those punches."  
  
"Yes," Ranma admitted, surprised by Jeff's insight.  
  
"The second question was straight math. So you figured it out like a math problem."  
  
"It was math problem."  
  
"Ranma, 28 is twice 14, 8% is twice 4%. If I take a number and divide by another number, I get an answer. If I double the number and double what I'm dividing by, I get the same answer. I know you're not stupid because you got the first answer. What you're missing is the ability to apply your fighting skills to something more abstract," Jeff explained in Japanese.  
  
The little light bulb flashed on in Ranma's head. "No I am not," he suddenly said in English.  
  
Unlike most of the people he knew, Jeff didn't start an argument at this point. He simply said, "Explain."  
  
"Is how I learn English. I make up katas from English lessons. I do same thing with disc you buy at airport. I do in my head." Ranma leapt from his chair and dropped into a ready stance. 'A' was a rising punch, 'B' a block, 'C' a double punch from left to right, 'D' a double punch right to left. Ranma continued with the alphabet while Jeff watched with keen interest.  
  
Once Ranma was finished with that and a few other katas, Jeff commented, "Ranma, you're a genius. Don't ever try to tell me you're stupid again because I won't believe you."  
  
"There many things I not know," Ranma protested.  
  
"You're confusing _knowledge_ with _intelligence_. Knowledge is what you know, intelligence is how well you figure things out. Trust me, coming up with 'Martial Arts English' was brilliant."  
  
At this point, Anne dragged both of them to the dinner table. She served an herb chicken in gravy over a bed of three colored pasta with mashed potatoes and green beans. Ranma figured his diet would be including a lot more protein than he was used to. Kasumi wouldn't have used that much meat for two meals while cooking for six people.  
  
"You do any cooking Ranma?" Anne asked after clearing the dishes.  
  
"Some. I cook better than Pops, lots better than Akane. Make good salad."  
  
"You can make a salad for lunch tomorrow then," Anne answered.  
  
"You two can eat the rabbit food if you want. If I'm here, I'll have a ham sandwich," Jeff put in.  
  
"Carnivore," Anne retorted.  
  
"And proud of it," Jeff shot back.  
  
-----  
  
Let it be said that Ranma Saotome is not stupid. Anyone who learns esoteric martial arts as quickly as he does isn't dumb. By consciously applying his martial arts skills to his academic studies, Ranma underwent an intellectual blooming. Many of the basic concepts that he simply missed during his training journeys were being learned now. Learned, integrated with his growing store of knowledge and applied to learn even more.  
  
Ranma went from being functionally illiterate in English to reading at an eighth grade level in three weeks. His math skills shot up almost as dramatically. He showed a flair for human anatomy that he thanked Tofu-sensei for. The works of Larry Gonick proved quite helpful for the basics of World and US History, Statistics, Physics and Genetics. The various 'learning katas' he'd come up with kept his body in shape. Although he would have liked to spar more. Jeff wasn't much competition those few times Ranma talked him into it.  
  
The fact that he was getting all the sleep he needed didn't hurt either. Whereas Jeff functioned best on eight hours sleep and Anne did fine with just over six, Ranma slept more than ten hours a night the first two weeks he spent in the Anderson household. Until coming to America, Ranma had almost never been allowed to sleep in. Either his father would wake him up to spar, or he'd have to get up for school, or someone would attack and he'd have to get up to fight them. It was amazing how much more focused he could be just from getting all the rest he needed. He tapered off to eight and a half hours after a month.  
  
Ranma did more than work on his education. He went to a Broadway show and two football games. He toured a few museums. He met several people at Anne's 21st birthday party. They included two police officers, a bicycle messenger, a lawyer, some coeds and Anne's father. They all seemed perfectly normal. He'd even been there when Lil' Bill pulled himself upright and stood unassisted for the first time.  
  
Water still managed to find him on occasions when he didn't want it to, but not nearly as often as in Nerima. He'd caught a couple of purse snatchers, broken up a mugging and beat the living snot out of a pimp who had struck one of his girls in Ranma's presence. He'd also been watching the news carefully for anything on the city's meta-human population.  
  
It seemed there were minor incidents daily and at least one major battle per week. So far he hadn't got involved in anything directly, but he and Jeff had helped with the aftermath of one fight. The damage level was at least as bad as a duel with Ryoga. Worse if you considered the innocents hurt. There had been no deaths, but one man would never walk again.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff noticed that Ranma's rapid progress finally slowed after six weeks. He was more than satisfied with the results. As a reward, Jeff took Ranma with him to his hanger/workshop/office at Teterboro Airport the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  
  
"So what did you want to show me anyway?" Ranma asked as Jeff ushered him into his office. There was a large sign on the office door.  
  
ANDERSON COMPUTING SOLUTIONS  
ANDERSON CUSTOM DESIGN  
ONE OFF PRODUCTIONS OF TETERBORO  
SEARCH AND RESCUE OF TETERBORO Ltd.  
ALL RECORDING DEVICES PROHIBITED  
  
"A couple things. I thought I'd give you your first flying lesson."  
  
"You want me to fly your plane?" Ranma had been up in the Maule once while Jeff dragged banners in circles over the nearby Meadowlands sports complex as a paid favor for one of his pilot friends. He hadn't really enjoyed it.  
  
Jeff used a key to open a door marked PRIVATE and led Ranma into his workshop. He said, "Hell no. I want you to fly that." Jeff pointed to something Ranma had only seen glimpses of as they flew over the city. A MATRIX hoversled. Ranma examined the device carefully.  
  
It was about a meter and a half long, just under a meter wide and about 30 centimeters thick. Four metal jacks held it a hand's breadth off the ground. An adjustable height bicycle seat was the only thing to sit on. Foot wells were slightly recessed into the top. The control yoke was simple enough, the central panel was dominated by a flat computer screen flanked by a variety of indicator lights. A windshield covered the front of the craft. It was tall enough to crouch behind and short enough to stand over. Two posts, a with net of bungee cords strung between them, served to hold loose cargo.  
  
"Cool," Ranma whispered.  
  
Jeff spent half an hour going over the basics. Any yellow light meant land within five minutes, any red light meant land immediately. To go up, pull back on the yoke, to go down, push forward. Right hand throttle controls forward speed. The most important thing, Stopping Takes Time. For an emergency stop, pop the gyros using the red switch by the left thumb, haul back on the control yoke and pray.  
  
"That last part sounds dangerous," Ranma noted. Not that danger worried him.  
  
"There's only so much I can do without driving the price beyond what MATRIX can pay. I could do better, but I can't afford two million bucks for anti grav units."  
  
"Anti grav units?" Ranma had never heard of such things.  
  
"Daedelus Foundation makes them or maybe just sells them. I've never been sure which. Theoretically, the government restricts their use, but it's an open secret they can be bought for the right price."  
  
"How do they work?"  
  
"I don't know. Applied experimental physics isn't my area of expertise."  
  
"I thought you had all answers."  
  
"I keep telling you, just the easy ones."  
  
Jeff set governors to limit the hoverseld's speed and had Ranma take it once around the hanger. Ranma moved as stately as a cruise ship through calm water. But slower. Jeff eased up on the overrides and sent him around again. Ranma had near perfect balance. Jeff thought he could fly a hoversled even if the gyros went out on him. Ranma was grinning like a canary filled cat by the time Jeff called him back to ground.  
  
"Well I think that one's ready to go. I'll take it over tomorrow."  
  
"What else?" Ranma recalled that Jeff had said 'a couple things'.  
  
"Ah, you remembered." Jeff walked over to a tarp and pulled it off with a flourish.  
  
"A model airplane?" After the hoversled, it was a major let down.  
  
"Not _just_ a model airplane. This is a working model of a tilt turbine craft that I hope to have built full size in the next four years. Bell Helicopter has one style of civilian tilt rotor available for sale. One. Mine will kick its ass if I can get it built. It'll be faster, roomier, and cost less. I've already got five patents on it and more being researched. If I can keep the price down, it'll replace the medivac helicopter completely."  
  
Ranma tried to dredge up some enthusiasm, but failed. Despite Jeff's pride, all he saw was a model airplane. "Can I deliver the hoversled with you?" he asked.  
  
"So, you want to see what a superhero's secret headquarters looks like?" Jeff asked back. Jeff had planned to offer Ranma a tour sooner or later. If Ranma did choose the life of a superhero, Jeff felt that Ranma's abilities were more suited to a team than a solo career.  
  
"Sure," Ranma replied. If he chose to be a superhero, he wanted as much information going in as he could get. Even if he wasn't a team player and would most likely work alone.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
END CHAPTER 6 


	7. The Tour

Choices Made, Roads Taken.  
Chapter 7: The Tour.  
  
What has gone before: After being rescued from the 'man among men' suicide pledge, Ranma has gone to NYC with Jeff Anderson, retired superhero. The much less hectic environment has been good for Ranma. By applying his martial arts skills to academic achievement, he's made great strides in the six weeks he's been living in America. But he still hasn't made any of the 'tough choices' he came to make.  
  
Jeff has shown Ranma some of the things he working on and a curious Ranma has asked to see MATRIX's secret headquarters. Jeff, hoping that Ranma might join MATRIX, agrees to take him there.  
  
----  
  
After leaving the airport grounds, Jeff and Ranma walked three kilometers before coming to a relatively large building with a concrete facade. A new Harley Davidson was the only vehicle in the building's private parking lot. As they had walked toward the building, Ranma had noticed it had no exterior windows and a small set of double doors near the southwest corner of the building.  
  
"Doesn't look like much," Ranma stated indifferently.  
  
"That's part of the secret. Besides, it's not like we've got the budget the major teams have."  
  
Jeff fished a pass card out of his wallet and swiped it through a reader before punching in a long access code. The outer doors opened by themselves and Jeff ushered Ranma inside. Once the outer doors closed, Jeff repeated the performance with the inner doors. "I'll have to get you a visitor's pass, or else you won't be able to enter the rest of the building. Wait here."  
  
Ranma looked around curiously while Jeff walked down the center of a double row of cubicles. The cubicles weren't empty, but they didn't seem like they were actually used. There weren't enough of the personal touches or decorations that could give a cubicle what little personality they were capable of. After a couple minutes, Jeff returned and handed Ranma a bright yellow passcard marked VISITOR in large red letters.  
  
"The doorway to the rest of the building will only pass one person at a time. Your code is 1122334467. Don't forget it. After the inner door closes, swipe your card through the reader, punch in the code and wait for the outer door to open. Then step through. I'll be right behind you," Jeff explained.  
  
Ranma did as he was told and looked around once he got through the entryway. He saw a couple of hallways, a set of stairs leading up, a few doors here and there. The whole place was spotless, but none of the surfaces gave a decent reflection. He heard a small scratching noise at the same time Jeff came through the entryway door. Looking around he spotted the source of the noise.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Ranma asked, pointing at a small machine scurrying across the floor in a sine wave pattern. A few seconds later, it rounded a corner and was gone from sight.  
  
"Mouse bot. They keep the place clean. We've got some other household bots for things like laundry and keeping the library shelves in order. They tend to avoid people."  
  
"You build them?"  
  
"I helped assemble them. They were designed by Fastball before he died."  
  
"He is man you came to Nerima about?"  
  
"Yeah." Jeff paused for a moment, lost in remembrance, before turning to the right and walking down the hall. "Reference Library. Conference Room. Rest Rooms across the hall. Computer Room. Which reminds me, I need to come back here before we leave. Lab." Reaching a corner, Jeff pointed to the end of the hall. "Elevator." Jeff swiped a passcard through a reader next to a door.  
  
The door whisked open and Jeff led Ranma down a short and slightly narrower hallway. Jeff pointed to a door on the right. "Men's locker room." He swiped his passcard through another reader and as the door slid away said, "This is the Gym."  
  
Ranma was impressed. Except for the lack of seats, it was as big as the Furinkan High Gymnasium. The walls were covered with some sort of black material from floor to ceiling with only a few doors exempted. Half the gym was empty except for a basketball backboard, the other half had a pommel horse, uneven and parallel bars and a high bar. Ranma also saw some workout mats and step aerobics gear piled up along the far wall.  
  
Walking over to the high bar, Ranma turned to Jeff and asked, "You mind?"  
  
"Knock yourself out."  
  
Ranma had done some high bar at Furinkan. It'd been fun. A light jump up and a couple swings to build momentum led into a giant swing. Followed by a couple one armed giants with each arm. Another giant swing, a straddle vault over the bar, a layout flip with a half twist, two inverted giant swings to build momentum and a half in, half out Sukahara for a dismount. Ranma took a small hop on the landing. Jeff gave three polite claps in recognition of the performance.  
  
Just then, the door next to the one they had entered the gym from opened and a tall, muscular, dark haired man in his early to mid twenties walked out. He was wearing a pair of red gym shorts and a gray T-shirt stating "Property of: someone you don't want to mess with". He took a quick glance at Jeff and a longer look at Ranma. "Hey Jeff, haven't seen you in a while," the newcomer stated.  
  
"Yeah, haven't been in in a while. What are you doing here? I thought Big Tex took your roster spot," Jeff replied.  
  
"Just here to use the weight room. Who's he?"  
  
Jeff made the introductions. "Ranma meet Flex. Flex meet Ranma."  
  
The two shook hands in the Western style and Ranma stated, "I'm surprised you're letting me see your real face."  
  
"Well, if Jeff didn't trust you, you wouldn't be here and I trust Jeff, so it's not a problem."  
  
The three men talked for a bit before heading off to the weight room. Ranma took a look into the room and started to wonder if coming here was as good as an idea as he had thought.  
  
The room was dominated by a contraption that Ranma had never seen before. It looked like a 'Universal' weight machine. But this monster had braided cables over an inch thick, was bolted to the floor and ceiling and looked as solid as a mountain. Ranma couldn't see any weights in the various stacks. Just shining metal pistons and thick metal gears and pulleys. That wasn't all. In the back left corner of the room, there was a rack built to the same scale holding what appeared to be just hand weights. An oversized bench press and squat rack were next to a stack of barbell plates in the back right corner. Much of the remaining space was filled with normal looking versions of all three.  
  
"Doesn't look like much, but this room cost more than the rest of the building combined," Jeff stated offhandedly.  
  
Ranma gestured at the device in front of him. "Looks like big weight machine. What is it?"  
  
Flex answered, "A big weight machine. The hydraulics can be set from anywhere from 400 kilos to 50 tons resistance."  
  
Ranma was past being impressed. He was getting close to boggled. Not even RYOGA was that strong. Pantyhose Taro in monster form might be able to lift 50 tons, but he wouldn't have fit into the room. "You bench 50 tons?" he asked of the dark haired man.  
  
"Not unless I use my powers."  
  
Ranma was slightly relieved.  
  
"I only bench 35 tons without my powers."  
  
The relief was extremely short lived.  
  
The three men talked while Flex did his workout. Flex asked how Jeff and Ranma met. Ranma asked how Jeff and Flex met. Ranma demonstrated his curse. Flex demonstrated his ability to change size, going from his normal height to one meter tall then to three meters tall before returning to normal. Somehow, Ranma wandered onto the topic of his many fiancees and suitors.  
  
"...then there's Shampoo, she Chinese Amazon."  
  
"From the Joketzu village?" Flex asked.  
  
"You've heard of them?" Ranma asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, our guides warned us to stay away from their village when I was in China once. Because of the way they treat outsiders," Flex replied.  
  
"You mean that stupid law they have that Ranma told me about?" Jeff asked. "If an outsider defeats an Amazon, they're considered married."  
  
"That's not quite it," Flex stated calmly.  
  
"Really?" Jeff asked, intrigued.  
  
Flex clarified, "An outsider _man_ who defeats an Amazon is given 'The Kiss of Marriage' and brought into the tribe. But an outsider _woman_ who defeats an Amazon is given 'The Kiss of Death', hunted down and killed. From what I heard, they're a lot more insistent about killing the women than they are about marrying the men."  
  
"What?!" Jeff wheeled to Ranma and asked, "Is that true?"  
  
Ranma stared at the floor. "Not always. There are supposed to be cases where woman can be adopted into tribe. Makes it Amazon to Amazon fight after fact."  
  
"But it's not what happened to you," Jeff said.  
  
"I was guy with girl's body. As soon as they found out I really was guy, 'Kiss of Death' canceled."  
  
"Well effing hooray for you. What about any other girl who manages to defeat an Amazon? Especially since you're so damn sure Shampoo is going to eventually show up looking for you," Jeff bit out. This was beginning to look like it might turn into a real problem. Given Shampoo's strength plus her complete lack of subtlety and the greater New York area having the world's highest concentration of meta-humans, many bad things could result.  
  
Shampoo acting like Shampoo could equal Shampoo dead or lots of other people dead. Jeff may not have been overly fond of the girl in the first place, but this revelation crystallized a sharp dislike for all things Amazon.  
  
"So far, that hasn't been problem," Ranma replied.  
  
"So you are saying that Akane or Ukyo or any other woman you know couldn't possibly beat an Amazon. Not Shampoo, but an average Amazon?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Well..." Ranma knew that if Shampoo was their best, their less than best could be beat by someone who wasn't as good as he was.  
  
"Which earns them a death sentence with no appeal," Flex added.  
  
"Well... Dammit, what am I supposed to do? Change entire Amazon system?" Ranma snapped.  
  
Jeff answered, "Yes. Good thing you're already doing it."  
  
Ranma glanced at Jeff and grunted, "Huh?"  
  
"By refusing to marry Shampoo. Three thousand years of tradition says Ranma marries Shampoo. If you can stand against that, it's the first step to changing the Joketzu way of life. Three thousand years of tradition against Ranma Saotome. My money is on you."  
  
"Well gee, that makes me feel much better."  
  
"Can the sarcasm Ranma," Jeff began. "The Joketzu way of life is wrong. It's a religion that doesn't respect the rights of non-believers and either imprisons or kills those who can demonstrate that Amazons are not the unbeatable warriors they claim to be."  
  
While Ranma was pondering what Jeff had said, Flex got up from the weight bench he'd been sitting at and said, "As fascinating as this conversation is, I've got to go home and get some work done. Later Jeff. Nice meeting you Ranma." Ranma shook the man's hand again and watched him leave.  
  
The two remaining men sat in silence for a while. Ranma thinking about what Jeff said, and Jeff letting him think. Ranma was engrossed in thought at a level he normally reserved for learning martial arts techniques or food.  
  
"You're right," Ranma suddenly said.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"Heck, back when Shampoo first showed up in Japan, I told her those laws were no good. That never changed. But she don't care. Hell, I think Cologne has given up on me, but not Shampoo."  
  
"Have you told her that you don't want to marry her?"  
  
"Yeah. She is pretty and all, but I don't want to marry her. Problem is she thinks we're already married."  
  
"Looks like you've come to a decision about Shampoo," Jeff pointed out. "Just a matter of getting her to accept it. So, how do you divorce an Amazon?"  
  
Ranma looked shocked. Could it be that easy? "I... don't know. I ask Mousse next time I see. I bet Shampoo can divorce me, but not other way around. That would fit in with Amazon way. But I don't want Shampoo to get hurt."  
  
"I think she'll get over you eventually."  
  
"Not mean that. First time Shampoo give up, Cologne give her curse. Who knows what Cologne does if Shampoo give up again."  
  
Jeff shook his head. "All Amazons must be insane. You think Cologne has given up on the idea of you marrying Shampoo, but she'd still punish Shampoo for failing to marry you?"  
  
"Not say it make sense."  
  
The conversation ended there, with Jeff eventually continuing the tour. Shampoo was not forgotten, just put on the back burner for a while. Jeff led Ranma back the way the had come in and down the other hall.  
  
Jeff stopped at the first door they came to and swiped his card. He showed Ranma inside. "This is our medical room. For obvious reasons, we avoid going to public hospitals whenever possible. Anything that isn't critical gets done here. If it's O.K. with you, I'd like for our staff physician, Doc Murchison, to give you a physical tomorrow."  
  
"Never feel better in my life, but sure."  
  
Jeff led Ranma out of the room. The next door was clearly marked 'Kitchen'. None of the other doors had been labeled except the restrooms. Both men were hungry, so a lunch break was called. They went through another door and ate in the formal dining room. There were sixteen chairs of some heavy wood Ranma didn't recognize arranged around a six meter long oak table. Half of one wall was a bar with padded leather stools and it looked well stocked. Stained wood paneling covered the walls.  
  
"Nice," Ranma said. Whether he meant the room or large sandwich he was demolishing, Jeff wasn't sure. After eating, the two took their dirty dishes back to the kitchen for the household systems to automatically clean, sterilize and put away. Kasumi would have approved.  
  
Once Jeff carded open the door, they both heard a guitar playing an unfamiliar but complex tune. Ranma hadn't heard a thing before that, indicating the place must be heavily sound proofed.  
  
"Big Tex must of come in while we were eating. If you want I can introduce you," Jeff said.  
  
"But if I become hero, wouldn't he know my secret identity then?" Ranma asked. The question hadn't occurred to him until after he'd met Flex.  
  
"Yes." Jeff didn't mention the security system that covered better than 90% of the building. Nor the devices that scanned both of them when they entered the building and again when they entered the medical room. If Ranma didn't suspect some sort of surveillance after living with Jeff for six weeks, he wasn't as smart as Jeff thought.  
  
"I will 'pass'."  
  
"I'll go ask him to stay put for a bit," Jeff passed through an archway that Ranma had spotted before entering the kitchen. The guitar playing stopped, and Ranma listened.  
  
"Hi Big Tex... Could you do me a favor... I've got a guest and he's unmasked and he doesn't want to blow his ID. Could you stay in here for a while?"  
  
Ranma expected to hear an answer, but none came.  
  
"Thanks, we shouldn't be much longer... 'Bout half an hour I think..."  
  
The guitar playing started up once more. The tune was different, but still not one Ranma recognized. "I never hear him say anything," Ranma observed once Jeff returned.  
  
"Big Tex can't talk."  
  
"Oh."  
  
-----  
  
Jeff showed Ranma the Rec Room, the Utility Room, and the storage rooms. Guitar music could be heard in the hallways, but not in the rooms. Then he carded open the door to one of the unoccupied bedrooms. There was a bed, nightstand, two dressers, one of which had a television on top. Jeff opened the doors to the closets and to a small bathroom. It felt like a fairly nice hotel room except for the lack of windows.  
  
"People live here?"  
  
"Sure. Nightblade lived here before she quit and got married to Mirage. Sparx stayed here for a while after she posed nude for Playboy. Big Tex lives here full time and Sunray lives here during the week. Me and Anne almost wound up living here once."  
  
Ranma stopped listening halfway through. He was stuck at 'nude'. "You mean with no clothes on?" he asked, eyes wide.  
  
"That's what nude means," Jeff agreed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"A million dollars after taxes", Jeff revealed. Seeing Ranma was still boggled, he continued, "Superheroes have to eat too you know. I don't approve of what she did, but she made enough money in one afternoon to live comfortably for the rest of her life. I can't fault her for that."  
  
"Strange world superheroes live in," Ranma said quietly.  
  
Jeff laughed. "Don't tell me you call Nerima normal."  
  
"No," Ranma admitted, "but is what I am used to."  
  
-----  
  
The two headed back down stairs to the guitar score of Vivaldi's Concerto in D Major. Jeff recognized it, but Ranma did not. Both men stopped to listen. After the music switched to something else, Jeff proceeded to the Computer Room that he'd mentioned earlier.  
  
Despite recently becoming familiar with computers during his stay, Ranma could not be called computer literate. Therefore he had no idea what Jeff was doing. He was doing it pretty quick though. Moving faster than he ever seen him, Jeff checked various files, data traps, e-mail addresses, back doors and firewalls. It wasn't as fast as an amiguriken, but it was still fast. Ranma had never watched Jeff work before, so it came as a surprise to him.  
  
"How come I never see you do this before?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Type so fast. If you punch as fast as you type, you would be good fighter. Better fighter."  
  
Jeff didn't know if he'd been slammed or not so he kept his response neutral. "I try not to freak out the danes," he said as his fingers flew across the keyboard.  
  
"Danes?"  
  
Without slowing his typing, Jeff explained, "Short for mundanes. In the hero biz, a dane is someone who can't deal with anything out of the ordinary. Like superheroes, aliens, magic or chi using martial artists. The part that ticks me off is that when danes see weird stuff first hand, they do their best to rationalize it away. Hallucination, hoax, whatever it takes so they don't actually have to accept the truth." There was a trace of anger in his voice that Ranma picked up on.  
  
"It bother you that much?"  
  
There was a brief respite from the sounds of keys being pressed. "Not really. I just realized that I was describing my parents."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jeff finished with a flourish and stood up. "Ranma, if you want to delivery the hoversled with me tomorrow, you're going to need a costume, or at least a mask and gloves. Either that or let everyone know who you are."  
  
"Hadn't thought about that." In fact Ranma couldn't remember anyone saying much about his possibly becoming a superhero since... Had it been six weeks already? The letters he'd finally written home should be arriving in Japan soon if they weren't there already.  
  
"It's your call. I'll back you either way."  
  
Ranma thought for a moment. "I wear mask with gi. Get real costume later if I need one."  
  
Jeff was pleased with the answer. It showed that Ranma was thinking creatively, and not just settling for the first options he got. He'd have to see what he could find costume wise.  
  
Jeff led Ranma out of the secured section of the building. Once outside, they took a short walk to Giants Stadium and rode with a bus full of football fans back into the city.  
  
-----  
  
It was Anne who took care of the costume problem by presenting Ranma with a blue two piece bodysuit emblazoned with a gold and red dragon. It reminded Ranma of what he had worn during the Charlotte Cup. There were matching gloves, footwear and a blue mask. There were opaque white rectangles where the eye holes should have been.  
  
"Real shame to cover up those eyes, but they are just too memorable," Anne stated as Ranma went to his room to get changed. The curtains and blinds were already shut, so it was safe for him to do so.  
  
"How long have you been hiding this?" Jeff asked of his wife.  
  
"Oh, about a week now. I thought of going with a horse motif at first, but since Ranma's name means 'wild horse', I realized it would be a giveaway. So I did some net surfing and found the dragon about a month ago. A little tweaking after I downloaded the image and some time with the screen press and ta-da!" Anne explained.  
  
Ranma returned at this point. The stretch fabric top molded to his chest and looked painted on. The pants were not quite as tight. Ranma's braid poked through the hole in the back of the mask that had been left for it.  
  
"How do I look?" the martial artist asked of his hosts.  
  
"Pretty sharp," Jeff admitted. 'Might have to lose the braid,' he thought.  
  
"The girls will love you," Anne stated enthusiastically.  
  
"Too many girls love me already," Ranma replied sullenly.  
  
"Well, you'll just have to learn to say 'no'," Jeff said while smiling. If Ranma learned that trick, half his problems would be solved.  
  
Anne went into details on what she'd done. "Everything stretches a little, so it should still fit if you get wet. Not that that should be a problem. The fabric is water repellent. It'll take more than just a few stray drops to change you. How does it feel?" Anne asked. Lil Bill started crying and Anne went to check on him.  
  
Ranma was quite happy with the water repellent part. But then his natural pessimism kicked in. 'I'll just get hit with more water then,' he thought. Testing his costume, he stretched, bent, twisted and turned. He threw half a dozen kicks of different types, and a few dozen fast punches. Anne returned as Ranma executed a scissors jump where he touched extended fingers to extended toes and nearly brushed the ceiling. "Pretty good."  
  
Anne nodded, proud of her work and stated, "It's thermally adaptive fabric, so it should feel pretty much the same anywhere from -20 Celsius to +40. If you have trouble breathing through the mask, let me know. I can always redesign it." She checked her son's diaper. Not yet time for a new one. Maybe he just wanted some attention.  
  
The blue clad young man nodded back and ran through one of his 'English' katas.  
  
Jeff set down on the couch and motioned Ranma to take a seat as well. Once both men were seated, Jeff began his first lesson on secret identities. "You might want to lose the braid. Or at least keep it out of sight. It's too easily remembered."  
  
Thinking of the dragon's whisker, Ranma answered, "There was reason I kept my hair braided, but it doesn't matter anymore. But since I don't want haircut, I will keep it out of sight."  
  
"Good. Next, your English is coming along fine, but if you do the hero thing, keep it to a minimum. Be the strong, silent type as far as the public is concerned. Your accent and speech patterns are dead giveaways that you're not from around here."  
  
"You have American accent when you speak Japanese."  
  
"And I'm willing to bet it's how Mishima tracked me down after my first run in with them. They knew I was an American because of my speech pattern. I read that in one of the files I hacked out of their computer system. With just that, a rough physical description and a few drops of blood, they tracked me down."  
  
"If it's so easy, how does anyone keep identity secret?"  
  
"I don't know how much effort it took for Mishima to track me down. But I made it easy by standing out from the crowd. I let them know I was a foreigner that spoke American English. If I'd have been thinking straight, I'd have never said a word in English. In Japan, change costumes and you could talk as much as you want. Here, I'd advise strongly against it."  
  
"Hmm. Any other advice?" Ranma asked.  
  
"You asked for it," Anne muttered in the background.  
  
Jeff ignored his wife's comment and got down to business.  
  
END CHAPTER 7 


	8. Meanwhile, Back in Nerima, part 1

Choices Made, Roads Taken.  
Chapter 8: Meanwhile, Back in Nerima  
  
What has happened so far: After being rescued from the 'man among men' suicide pledge, Ranma has left Nerima in order to get his life in order. However, just because Ranma's gone, that doesn't mean Nerima has suddenly gone quiet. Or does it?  
  
-----  
  
Akane stood in the middle of the Tendo Dojo. There was a three by three grid on the floor with forty centimeter high partitions separating the half meter square cells. Each square was numbered from one to nine. Akane nodded to Kasumi.  
  
"One Seven Three Two Zero Five Zero Eight Zero Seven Five Six Eight Eight Seven Seven Two Nine Three Five Two Seven Four," Kasumi said in quick cadence.  
  
With each number, Akane hopped from her square to the one named as fast as she could, her feet barely clearing the partitions. When Kasumi said zero, Akane would twist in place. At first she had done this without the partitions and without having her ankles strapped together.  
  
"Four Six Three Four One Five Zero Five Eight Seven Two Three Six Six Nine Four Two Eight Zero Five Two Five," Kasumi continued.  
  
At Jeff's suggestion, she varied the size of the squares and the height of the partitions. Kasumi got the number sequences from an old math reference book that she happened to have. Every time Akane hung up a load of laundry, Kasumi would run this drill with her.  
  
"Three Eight One Zero Three Eight," Kasumi concluded.  
  
Akane froze. "Why did you stop?"  
  
"That's the end of the series. You finished it."  
  
"I did? I did! Thank you." Unstrapping her ankles, Akane grabbed her sister in a fierce hug. It was the first time she'd finished series that long without tripping on consecutive tries. She was finally making progress. Akane released her sister and quickly snatched up a jump rope.  
  
'To think I laughed at Jeff when he suggested this,' she told herself. Jumping rope was for little kids she had said. Then Jeff started whipping around a spare piece of clothesline at speeds she found incredible. Keeping it up for ten minutes before snagging his ankles on a triple jump was impressive too.  
  
In the six weeks she'd been jumping rope, she'd built speed and endurance. She was even trying a few of the tricks that Jeff had shown her. She'd given up jogging and instead ran five to eight kilometers a day. She still broke concrete blocks and performed katas against her practice dummies. Finding a balance between what she already did and her new exercises had been difficult, but fulfilling.  
  
Akane didn't notice when Kasumi left, but did notice when Kasumi returned. She was holding a letter in her hand.  
  
"Akane, it's from Ranma."  
  
-----  
  
Kuonji Ukyo poured batter on a hot grill and got ready to add the toppings for a shrimp okonomiyaki. She winced internally as her left arm was still a little sore from her Anything Goes lesson with Saotome Genma the day before. For someone who taught his son not to attack women, Genma didn't seem to have any qualms about doing so himself.  
  
With a full load of mini-spatulas, flour bombs and her combat spatula, she could hold her own against Genma for a while if given room to maneuver. Her victory against him when she first tracked him down had been a fluke. In close quarters, or without her weapons, Genma could stomp her. And had done so every Sunday for the last six weeks.  
  
It bothered her that she was paying for the privilege of getting beat up once a week. If Ranma hadn't asked her to take Anything Goes Lessons, she'd have never done it. Given her choice of taking lessons from Genma or Soun, she chose Genma because Ranma was a lot better martial artist than Akane.  
  
Ukyo also had trouble reconciling the woman who almost killed Ranma with Saotome Nodoka. The Saotome clan sword was still stuck in the ceiling above the Saotome family shrine. The woman who nearly killed the man she loved was a quiet, polite homemaker. Nodoka informed Ukyo that the sword would stay where it was until and unless Ranma claimed it himself. How Jeff managed to stick it up there in the first place was a mystery.  
  
"Here you are," Ukyo flipped the finished okonomiyaki onto a plate and presented it to her customer. She scraped the grill in preparation for a pork with extra cabbage.  
  
The martial arts lessons were fairly straightforward. The ideas behind them where much less so. But the more she thought about them, the more they made a strange kind of sense. Which was scary when she considered the founder of Anything Goes.  
  
Speaking of whom, Happosai had breezed through Nerima a few weeks back, closely chased by Pantyhose Taro. From what she heard later, there was something about water from the "Spring of Drowned Virtuous Man" that was really from the "Spring of Drowned Twins". The thought of two Happosais had bothered Ukyo, but nothing came of it.  
  
She finished serving her customer and the door to her shop opened with a ring. Ukyo relaxed once she saw it was just the mailman. Along with some advertisements (pitched) and her electric bill (filed) was a letter. From Ranma.  
  
-----  
  
Genma was flat on his back with his head under the kitchen sink. He gave the wrench in his hand another turn. He hated the various chores his wife had found for him since he had returned to his home. He hated that he couldn't play shogi or go with Soun all day, every day. He hated the fact that he couldn't take refuge from his wife with a splash of cold water. He really hated the fact that his wife had made him work as a rent-a-panda.  
  
But he admitted that his wife had done a good job keeping the house in order during his sixteen year absence. He and his wife went to visit Soun every Saturday. He couldn't argue with the money he made while working. Up to twelve thousand yen a hour wasn't chicken feed. Most of all, he didn't mind sex on a regular basis.  
  
"Try it now dear," he told his wife.  
  
Nodoka turned the tap and water flowed out normally. She'd had more plumbing problems since her son had first arrived than in the many years he and her husband had been gone. It was somewhat vexing. She felt that the more time her husband spent human, the more problems she had. Which was true after all.  
  
Nodoka missed her son horribly. If not for that damn promise she had accepted, how would the last sixteen years have been different? Would her son be as manly as he was? Would she and Genma have had other children? She was probably too old to have more children now. She'd missed her last period. Early onset of menopause she guessed.  
  
"It's working fine. Thank you husband. Now remember, we have the Yamashita birthday party tonight from 6 to 8, so go get ready," Nodoka told her husband.  
  
It was nice to have Genma around the house again. It was nice to go to the Tendo's each Saturday. The Tendo girls were a joy, each in their own way. It was even nice to have the Kuonji girl come by on Sundays. Her son had apparently asked the young woman to take Anything Goes lessons. Otherwise, she would have forbidden it, despite Ukyo paying for the lessons.  
  
She was not happy about with her husband when she found out about the Kuonji engagement, but she couldn't fault the girl for wanting to marry her son. But the Tendo engagement was paramount. Family honor required it. Kuonji-chan might make a good mistress once her manly son married one of the Tendo girls. Something to think about anyway.  
  
Nodoka was still woolgathering when she heard a quick double knock on the door. That would be the mailman. It was that time of day.  
  
-----  
  
_Dear Tendos,  
  
I've been in America a month, so I thought I should write you and let you know how I am. Although I expect it will take a couple of weeks before this letter gets to Japan. I am fine. The weather here has been very nice although it looks like it will rain later today.  
  
Jeff and his wife Anne say "Hi." I think Bill would too if he could talk. They have been very nice to me. I am learning a lot of English and other stuff too. Although I'm not sparring as much as I'd like. Jeff says he should be able to find me some decent sparring partners soon. He hasn't got any better since the last time he was in Nerima, but he says that I have got better since the last time he saw me.  
  
You can write me back at the address on the envelope. I hope to hear from you soon.  
  
Ranma._  
  
Kasumi had opened and read the letter as soon as she saw that it was from Ranma. Being computer printed, the letter wasn't in his atrocious handwriting. It had thrown her off for a moment. Also enclosed were two smaller envelopes.  
  
Tucking the one with her own name on it into her apron, she went to the dojo to give the letter and the remaining envelope to Akane. While Akane was reading the letter and weighing the smaller envelope in her hand, Kasumi discreetly went to her own room to read what Ranma had sent her.  
  
_Dear Kasumi,  
  
I hope that this letter finds you well. It should, because without me and Pops around it must be a lot quieter. Not to mention fewer messes and less cooking and cleaning to do. I never realized how much you do until I started doing some of it for myself. I know I ain't said this enough, but "Thank you".  
  
I'm doing my own laundry again, just like when I was traveling with Pops and I do some of the cooking. Could you send me some recipes so that I can show them to everyone here? I am sending you the recipe for "Two Alarm Chili". One of Jeff's friends gave it to him, Jeff gave it to me and now I'm giving it to you. I think everyone back home will like it.  
  
I hope to hear from you soon.  
  
Ranma_  
  
Along with the recipe, was a card with a phone number and the words, "For emergency use only". It wasn't the same number as before.  
  
'Oh Ranma, I hope you come home soon,' Kasumi thought to herself.  
  
When Ranma and his father arrived, she had adjusted her household routines to get everything done in the same amount of time despite there being two more people to cook and clean for. Subtract those two people and add the help that Akane gave anywhere other than the kitchen and Kasumi was left with a small surplus of time for herself.  
  
Since Tofu-sensei was no longer around to borrow books from, Kasumi was trying a few different things. Possibly without realizing it, Kasumi was living more for herself than at any time since her mother had died.  
  
Akane sat on the floor of the dojo, her workout forgotten. She quickly read the brief letter Ranma had sent, and then opened the envelope with her own name on it. What did Ranma have to say to her that he wanted to keep private? Just then, P-chan nosed open the door to the dojo and bounded over to Akane.  
  
Picking up her pet pig, Akane said, "Hello P-chan. Look, Ranma finally sent a letter." Her pet had been around a high percentage of the time for the last month and a half. It was if he knew that she needed the company. Ryoga had also been by a few times during Ranma's absence. Because he wasn't in 'Saotome Ranma, Prepare To DIE' mode, it had been nice. With her pet pig propped on her lap, Akane read Ranma's private note.  
  
_Dear Akane,  
  
I hope things are going well for you. How has school been? Jeff is teaching me math and science and his wife teaches me English, reading and history. I have been learning a lot. Jeff says it's because of a "zero distraction environment". I guess he means because of no fights with Kuno or Ryoga or anybody. Which is good for learning stuff, but it's boring.  
  
Since I'm not there, your distraction level has gone down too I bet. I hope Kuno (any Kuno) ain't giving you trouble. Not that I miss pounding the tar out of bokken boy or nothing. Are you doing the agility drills that Jeff showed you? He won't tell me what they are. And are you and Ukyo getting along and watching out for each other like I asked? It would mean a lot to me.  
  
I haven't made many of the decisions that I came to America to make, but I am learning enough to make the right decisions when the time comes.  
  
Finally, I need to apologize for something. I should have told you what I was doing when I went to see my mother before all this started. Despite that being how Pops found out the first time I tried to see Mom, I still should have told you. You had the right to know. I am sorry I didn't tell you.  
  
I hope to hear from you soon.  
  
Ranma._  
  
Akane read the letter, couldn't believe what she had read and read it again. Ranma was apologizing for something? She knew that the incident with his mother had changed him. But this much? Since the letter was printed on a computer, only Ranma's signature identified it as coming from him. Otherwise she would have sworn that someone else had written it.  
  
There were still traces of the old Ranma. The part about Kuno showed that. But for the most part it seemed Ranma had done a lot of growing up since that night seven weeks ago. Maybe she ought to do something about that.  
  
-----  
  
Dealing with a heavier than usual after school rush left Ukyo barely enough time to prepare for the dinner rush. The letter from Ranma didn't get read until after closing time.  
  
_Dear Ucchan,  
  
I'm sorry I haven't written before, but I think it's because I didn't really have nothing to say. It's been a month since I left, but somehow it feels more and less than that at the same time. Overall, I'm doing pretty good. I hope you are doing good too.  
  
The weather here has been pretty nice, very few freak rain showers like at home. The rain here gives you plenty of warning. It probably won't start raining until after I get this letter in the mailbox.  
  
Jeff wants the recipe for your okonomiyaki sauce. His tries at okonomiyaki are edible, but they're not even close to being as good as yours. I think the sauce would help though. Jeff and his wife have been very nice to me. I think you and Anne would be good friends. She reminds me of you, but I don't know why.  
  
Are you and Akane watching out for each other like I asked? I hope Shampoo hasn't made it necessary. (Don't worry if you see Ryoga around, I asked him to keep an eye out for Akane. I ain't worried about you since you can take care of yourself.)  
  
You can write me back at the address on the envelope. I hope to hear from you soon.  
  
Ran-chan._  
  
Ukyo sat on the edge of her bed and thought about what Ranma had written. If she'd had an address to send it to, she would have written Ranma a letter long ago. Checking the return address, Ukyo noted that it was for a post office box, not a street address. Just another ploy by Jeff to keep Ranma's exact location secret Ukyo guessed.  
  
It was nice that Ranma was doing well. The part about okonomiyaki was clearly Ranma's stomach talking. Since she obviously couldn't send okonomiyaki through the mail, she'd send one of her sauce recipes. But what did Ranma mean when he said that Anne reminded him of herself?  
  
She remembered the picture that Jeff had shown her. Ukyo didn't think she looked anything like the woman. Maybe he meant personality wise. That had to be it. But would that get her any closer to being Ranma's only fiance?  
  
The fact that Ranma thought she could take care of herself warmed Ukyo's heart. Although truthfully, she and Akane hadn't magically become best friends since Ranma left. Shampoo had been keeping such a low profile, that there had been no need for Ukyo to keep an eye out for Akane. Or vice versa, even if Akane had been inclined to do so.  
  
Since it was kind of late to begin with, Ukyo put off writing Ranma back for the moment. Maybe during lunch at school. Kamis knew that she'd have no time for it during the breakfast rush in the morning.  
  
-----  
  
"Husband! There's a letter from Ranma," Nodoka called out.  
  
Genma set down the glass of water he'd been about to douse himself with and read over his wife's shoulder. Genma was surprised that his son had written home. He wasn't expecting to hear from him until he returned from his nonsensical trip to America.  
  
_Dear Mother and Father,  
  
It has been a month since I arrived in America. I thought you should know that I am fine. Jeff and his wife have been very good to me. The weather here has been nice, although it looks like it will rain later today.  
  
Father, I would like to thank you for teaching me that anything can be made into martial arts practice. It has been very helpful in my studies. I am learning a lot.  
  
Mother, I don't know when I will be coming back to Japan. But you are a part of my life and I do not want a misunderstanding to separate us. You were doing what you thought was right. I realize that. But knowing why I nearly died does not mean I accept the reason for it. It may be that night will always stand between us. But I hope the day will come when I can have the mother I never knew and you can have the son you have always wanted.  
  
Ranma._  
  
Nodoka cried and Genma comforted her the best he was able.  
  
-----  
  
Tendo Nabiki was not a happy camper. Without Ranma as a focus, her entire financial empire was in bad shape. She should never have allowed herself to become so dependent on one income source. Through sales of photographs, fight betting and an occasionally alluded to but never invoked threat against those who owed her money, Ranma had become involved in over 80% of her incoming cash flow.  
  
Her back stock of Ranma-chan photos was running low. She would be able to squeeze maybe twenty or thirty thousand yen out of Kuno with those. And as much as she hated to admit it, selling pictures of her own sister was starting to bother her. (The market for those had picked up somewhat, but nowhere near enough to offset her other losses.) One dimwitted senior had asked for pictures of Kasumi, and once Akane found out about it, said senior ended up eating through a straw. Whether that had anything to do with Nabiki's reluctance was a matter between her and her conscience.  
  
She didn't even have Ranma's debts to collect interest on anymore. She'd slightly exaggerated the amount she felt Ranma owed her for existing and that damned American had written a check on the spot. With ten percent added for a currency exchange fee. She suspected Anderson-san had serious money behind him, if she'd could figure out an angle, then that money would naturally be hers.  
  
But she'd have to be careful. She had seen him tear a coin in half, and while she knew several people who could duplicate that feat, it was enough to require caution. Jeff's tolerance for nonsense was minimal. Nabiki remembered where Kodachi had wound up after tangling with him.  
  
If only Kasumi would tell her what had happened that night. If only anyone would tell her what happened that night. All those involved were being remarkably tight lipped about it. The only thing that everyone agreed on was that Jeff blocked a killing stroke from the Saotome clan sword. She'd seen the sword embedded in the ceiling above the Saotome clan shrine on one of her visits to Auntie Nodoka. A close up examination of the weapon while standing on a step ladder gave no clues to work with.  
  
Auntie Nodoka said she'd had her eyes closed at the critical time. Genma had been steeling himself against plunging a tanto into his own body. Ranma had been bent over the chopping block and probably saw nothing useful. Although getting what details Ranma did have would be easy enough once she had the chance to question him. Jeff wouldn't give her the time of day, let alone say how he'd done it. Which left Kasumi as the only available witness to the events of that night. And Kasumi... wasn't talking.  
  
All of which meant Nabiki was not a happy camper. She sat in her room and fumed and thought of ways to shake some money loose from the tree that was Nerima. Then came a knock on her door.  
  
"Nabiki, Ranma wrote a letter to the family. Akane has it in the dojo," Kasumi stated from the other side of the closed door.  
  
"Thank you Onee-chan," Nabiki replied. The cash register in her head made an almost audible 'K-Ching!' Nabiki nearly hurried downstairs. She saw that one of the weird agility drills the American had shown Akane was set up in the middle of the dojo and that her sister was sitting on the floor nearby. Her pet pig was in her lap and she was staring absentmindedly at the pieces of paper in her hand.  
  
"So the ever wandering one deigns to write those he left behind? I'm touched. Truly," Nabiki observed sarcastically.  
  
Akane rose and handed Nabiki about half the papers she had. "Here. He doesn't say much," Akane said disappointedly.  
  
Nabiki noticed that Akane held some things back, "What about the rest of it?" she asked.  
  
"The rest of it is a private message for me."  
  
Nabiki peered at what remained in Akane's hand before Akane quickly put it behind her back and out of reach. "Really? Something embarrassingly intimate I hope," Nabiki deadpanned.  
  
Akane blushed. "No! Nothing like that."  
  
"Then why the reaction little sister?" Although if it HAD been embarrassingly intimate, Akane would have lived up to her name and not been just slightly pink.  
  
"Because it's for me. Not for you."  
  
Changing to a light hearted tone, "You know I'm going to bug you until you show me, so why not just give in now and save time?" Nabiki asked.  
  
Akane thrust the remaining papers into her sister's hand. "Fine. And if you find anything embarrassingly intimate in this, let me know. I'm going to go take a bath," she said heatedly. At the mention of the 'b' word, P-chan took off in mortal fear. Ryoga had better things to do than have his cover blown.  
  
-----  
  
Nabiki figured that she should be able to sell the contents of the letters to a few interested parties. The return address alone was worth quite a bit. Although a street address would have been better. Ukyo would pay a decent price. Best to talk with her tomorrow at school. It was too late to approach the Kuno compound safely. Besides, she needed to separate the information into packets for separate sale to Kuno-chan and his sister. But Shampoo had a standing offer for any and all information that turned up about her 'airen'.  
  
How much could she squeeze out of the Amazon without undue risk? Was there anything that would put her or her family in danger if Shampoo (or Cologne) knew it? These were the type of questions that Nabiki loved. She was so involved in solving them, she nearly missed dinner.  
  
-----  
  
Going over the letters again after dinner, the only thing Nabiki thought she should edit out was Ranma asking if Ukyo and her sister were looking out for each other. To the best of her knowledge they weren't, but there was no need for Shampoo to suspect the two might be allying against her at Ranma's request. Nabiki already knew Ranma had had some harsh words with Shampoo prior to leaving. No need to aggravate her unnecessarily.  
  
The sale went well enough. A thousand yen for the contents of the main letter, three thousand more for the parts of the note to Akane that Nabiki felt safe to sell and five thousand yen for the return address. Nabiki didn't feel she could have safely pressed for more money. Shampoo was stressed. Nabiki also noticed that Cologne was nowhere in sight.  
  
Business successfully concluded, Nabiki left the restaurant and literally bumped into Mousse just outside the front door. He looked bad. Mousse had a freshly blackened left eye and a few assorted bruises that were still healing.  
  
"Mousse, you lose a fight with Ryoga?" Nabiki asked although she was aware of the most likely cause for the damage.  
  
"No. Why would I fight Hibiki?" he asked guardedly.  
  
"You know, other than the time you tried to turn my sister into a duck, you've been a pretty good guy. Why do you let Shampoo do this to you?" Nabiki wasn't sure if it was curiosity or concern that asked the question.  
  
"Because I love her. She's been under a lot of stress lately. By taking it out on me, she hasn't been taking it out on other people. It's for the best really." Mousse sounded very convincing.  
  
"She must really hate you," Nabiki observed.  
  
"No she doesn't," Mousse answered quietly.  
  
"Take a look in a mirror Mousse. If this keeps up, she's going to kill you."  
  
Mousse calmly explained, "Tendo, when Shampoo wore the Reversal Jewel, she still hit me. That means she doesn't hate me. Somewhere, maybe so deep inside she can't see it herself, she doesn't hate me."  
  
'Magic, why the hell is it always magic?' Nabiki asked herself. "Don't die because a piece of junk jewelry says something. Shampoo could love you more than Ranma and still kill you if those bruises on your face mean anything."  
  
"Why the hell should you care Tendo?" Mousse asked before he turned and limped into the restaurant, effectively terminating the conversation.  
  
'Why indeed?' part of her mind inquired of the rest. Nabiki hated being asked questions she didn't have answers for. Even when she was asking the questions herself.  
  
-----  
  
Shampoo lay on her bed and fumed about the injustice of it all. Her airen had left her behind and she could do nothing. Nothing. What kind of Amazon was she if she let a mere male, even Ranma, dictate her actions? Once again, she fought down the urge to eliminate her rivals. She had no desire to find out what form Ranma's retribution would take. For one brief moment she had seen that Ranma was truly upset with her. If there was any chance for a future with Ranma, she would have to keep her temper.  
  
Normally, she would have worked her frustrations out on Mousse, but Cologne had said that if she injured him again, she would have to take over his duties. Her own father was no warrior and Cologne was too busy with a project of her own to spar. The pressure had been almost unbearable when Mercenary Girl showed up.  
  
Although it cost far too many yen, Shampoo purchased the return address from Tendo Nabiki. Now she could track down Ranma. Even though it was only a PO Box, that would be enough to act. Finding the post office would be easy enough. Waiting for Ranma to pick up his mail would require only the patience any successful hunter had. It was time to act.  
  
END CHAPTER 8  
  
-----  



	9. Day One

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 9: Day one.  
  
What has happened so far: Ranma has gone to America with retired superhero Jeff Anderson to get his life in order. His absence from Nerima might be causing more changes than his presence. Today, Ranma plans to make his first costumed appearance. Or course, we know how well plans and Ranma mix.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma reached out and shut off his alarm clock. Normally since arriving in America, Ranma slept until his body told him to wake up. Since he wanted to go with Jeff to deliver the hoversled to MATRIX HQ, he needed to get up early and so had actually set his alarm clock. This explains why he was only semi-conscious when he opened the bathroom door. It also explains why Anne was drying her hair with a towel while being otherwise undressed.  
  
There was a brief pause before Anne reached for a bathrobe and Ranma closed the door. It wasn't the first time he'd been in such a situation, and with his luck it wouldn't be the last. Truth be told, what Ranma noticed most was some extensive scarring across Anne's mid-section. His hand was still on the doorknob when Jeff padded up wearing a pair of sweats.  
  
"Problem?" Jeff inquired.  
  
"Your wife is in there," Ranma replied.  
  
The bathroom door was pulled open from the other side and Anne, with robe tied, said, "Ranma, it was an accident."  
  
"What was an accident?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Ranma walked in on me before I put my robe on. I forgot to lock the bathroom door," Anne explained.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable pounding. When it didn't come, he opened them and saw his hosts starting breakfast. Not knowing what else to do, Ranma hit the shower. Afterwards, he walked out to the kitchen and bowed to Anne and said, "I am very, very sorry about that."  
  
Anne handed Ranma a plate of blueberry pancakes and replied, "If I thought you had done it on purpose, it would be a different story. But it was a mistake. Apology accepted. Heck, a couple of months ago I was still breast feeding Bill. You'd have seen my boobs every day."  
  
Ranma blinked and added this to his ever growing list of differences between America and Japan. "It just reminded me of day I met Akane. She was naked and walked in on me in bathroom. Then she hit me with table. Later I accidentally walk in on her. She punch me. It took long time for us to get past bad start."  
  
Jeff wasn't sure that they had, but kept his mouth shut. After some small talk, Jeff finished eating and went to take his own shower. Ranma heard the water start and asked Anne, "How did you get those scars?"  
  
"A mutant dinosaur tried to bite me in half," she replied before the intercom buzzed interrupting further explanation. Keying the switch, Anne asked, "Who is it?"  
  
"It's Robert. I need to use the phone."  
  
"C'mon up." Anne then pressed the button next to the remote lock and went to the apartment door. Ranma was busy stuffing his face but noticed Anne ticking off fingers. Upon reaching ten, she opened the door a little bit and closed it almost immediately. "Hi Robert."  
  
"Hi sweetie," came the reply. "I need to call in a untraceable tip."  
  
Ranma didn't see anyone and it sounded like that voice came from the floor. Curious, he stood up and what he saw caused a mental shutdown far worse than seeing a naked woman.  
  
"C-C-C-CAT!!" Ranma shouted as the bars of fear clamped down upon his mind. It was the biggest damn house cat he'd ever seen.  
  
"WHERE?!" Robert the Talking Cat yelled back while jumping up and swapping ends. Since Robert was about the same size as Ryoga's dog Checkers, this was a lot of feline in motion. Ranma began to yell wordlessly.  
  
Anne couldn't really be blamed. Robert was a special auxiliary member of MATRIX and with his enhanced senses, you couldn't hide a secret identity from him unless you wore full environment armor. She knew Jeff was taking Ranma to meet the team and thought, 'Why not get one out of the way early?' Neither Ranma nor her husband had ever mentioned Ranma's extreme aurilophobia.  
  
Jeff heard Ranma's first yell and leapt out of the shower, barely pausing long enough to wrap a towel around his midsection. The noise was enough to wake Little Bill, who added his cry to the rising decibel level.  
  
When Ranma inhaled to take another breath so he could continue screaming, the excessive weirdness circuit in his brain triggered. Suddenly calm, he said in his native tongue, "Wait a second. Cats can't talk."  
  
Shampoo was sometimes a cat, and she couldn't talk when her curse was active. Neither could his father, Ryoga or Mousse when their curses were active. The evidential conflict between his eyes and ears prevented the Neko-ken training from kicking in long enough for Robert to get out of the line of sight.  
  
Robert had, of course, bolted when Ranma started screaming, and Jeff was in route to Ranma. Therefore, of course, Jeff tripped over the extra large tabby. He and his towel parted company somewhere along the way.  
  
"MRROOW! FFFT!!"  
  
"OW! @^*%! ROBERT!"  
  
"WAAAAHHHHHH! WAAAAHHHHH!"  
  
"Cats can't talk. Cats can't talk. Cats can't talk."  
  
Eventually, order was restored. Eventually that is.  
  
-----  
  
"All right, there is c-c-cat that can talk," Ranma stated from the passenger seat of the rental van. He was wearing his costume under his clothes, his mask and gloves a small bundle tucked in his front right pocket.  
  
"I've seen four. Then there was when Mirage got turned into a cat, but that doesn't count," Jeff said from behind the wheel. He hated driving, but sometimes it was necessary.  
  
"Four?"  
  
"For crying out loud, two of them were in Japan."  
  
"No way."  
  
"It was when me and Kasumi were out shopping a few hours before I took everybody to dinner. One black cat, one white cat. Heard them plain as day." Jeff waited for the light to change before turning right onto Moonachie Avenue. The new hoversled was crated up in the back of the van.  
  
"No. Way."  
  
"Ranma, what possible reason would I have to lie," Jeff replied as they reached the driveway to MATRIX headquarters.  
  
"Well, only talking c-c-cat I've seen was demon or ghost or something, it not look like normal c-c-c-c..."  
  
"Cat?" Jeff offered, as he pulled the van around to the north side of the building.  
  
"Thank you. I'm sure Robert is nice guy, but I just can't..."  
  
"Ranma, you can't stand cats, I can't stand telepaths. Let's call it even."  
  
"You go crazy when you see telepath?" Ranma asked, sure that nothing was worse than entering the Neko-ken.  
  
"No," Jeff replied as he backed the van toward a set of double doors. "But hearing a voice inside your head that isn't your own is pretty bad. Especially one that can _make_ you do things. Like almost kill your teammates. Read the 'Red Queen' case files sometime."  
  
Conversation was suspended while Jeff got out of the van, swiped a card through a security reader and entered a long access code. Jeff got back into the van and told Ranma it was time for him to get into costume. Ranma climbed into the back of the cargo van, pulling on his gloves and mask while peeling off his outer layer of clothing.  
  
It was almost a minute before the dual doors slid barely far enough apart for Jeff to back the van through. Ranma saw an empty room 10 meters wide and almost that deep that extended through both floors of the building. After Jeff killed the engine, he told Ranma to wait a moment.  
  
The thin outer doors closed and a red light changed to amber in room not far away. Slowly, the more than meter thick, super reinforced concrete inner door rose from the floor. It took thirty seconds for the hydraulic lifts to put the massive barrier back into place. To some beings, that wall would be about as effective as tissue paper, but it served well enough. After a few seconds to verify the door was properly closed, the amber light changed to green and the holographic projector turned off.  
  
Ranma could now see the room as it really was. There were three doors opposite the double doors through which they had entered. A large hatch with some weird machinery around it was in the middle of the ceiling. There were three hoversleds in marked off sections of the floor. One was significantly larger than the other two.  
  
Ranma let himself out of the van and looked around some more. Along the east wall were large scale maps of Manhattan and the New York City region. The west wall had racks of hand tools and a few things he couldn't readily identify. A door in the southwest corner of the room hissed opened, and Ranma whirled around in time to see the current membership of MATRIX enter.  
  
He noticed Big Tex first. A good two meters tall, he was well muscled, but not what anyone would call bulky. At least from the neck down. Dressed in blue jeans, a red T-shirt, a blue jean vest with lots of pockets, cowboy boots and a ten-gallon hat on top of a head like a giant smiley face. Bright yellow, two large black dots for eyes and a black slash for a mouth. No visible ears or nose at all.  
  
The file Jeff had on him indicated he could bench press twenty tons, eat almost anything and was bulletproof to conventional firearms. Sort of a bigger, tougher version of Ryoga.  
  
Next was Sparx. She was about as tall as Anne, but curvier. Her hair was a reddish purple or a purplish red, but Ranma had seen odd hair colors before. She wore pink compression shorts and a matching custom sports bra that left nothing of her excellent figure to the imagination. Ranma guessed her to be in her early to mid twenties.  
  
She could fly, create smoke and control any smoke around her, even if she hadn't created it. Which didn't sound like much to Ranma. Her file also said she generated electricity, but he didn't see any evidence of that. The fact that her eyes resembled a cat's was somewhat disquieting to Ranma.  
  
On the left was FreeFall. He looked almost stereotypical to Ranma. Early thirties, tall, broad-chested, narrow waisted, square-jawed, muscular, forearms like bread loaves. His costume, boots and all, was in various shades of blue. Ranma could see the stock of a rifle peeking over his right shoulder. Ranma didn't like guns and felt some contempt toward those who relied on them.  
  
FreeFall was the only member of MATRIX who carried a Federal DS-6 sanction. He could legally kill in the line of duty under certain circumstances. It was something he'd done at least once. His powers involved dissipating kinetic energy and something Jeff referred to 'partial gravity polarization'. Whatever that meant. In practice, it made him very difficult to move against his will. Ranma noticed the well defined calluses of a practicing martial artist on FreeFall's hands.  
  
Behind Big Tex was Limelight. Limelight wore a lime green bodysuit with a complicated matte-black harness and a solid looking green helmet. Ranma noted the harness crossed most of the major muscle groups with bands of various thickness. There was a chest assembly that could emit green light or a blast of concussive force strong enough to shatter steel. The suit also allowed him to fly, lift three tons, absorb energy, see in the dark, take digital photographs and do other things that Jeff hadn't figured out yet.  
  
To Ranma, he moved all wrong. The 'muscles' were obvious fakes to his eyes, but they might fool someone who didn't know what to look for. Limelight was currently the field leader of MATRIX, so Ranma would have to learn to work with him despite the fact he showed a false front.  
  
He almost missed Sunray standing behind FreeFall. She was in her 'civilian' form, which was that of a thin 12 or 13 year old girl with shoulder length blonde hair, dressed in a white sleeveless blouse with a blue knee length skirt. Her 'powered' form was the same, only appearing four years older and in a yellow and white costume.  
  
Ranma was no stranger to people having more than one body. The concept of a 'magical girl' was one that was very familiar in anime. Say the magic word, costume appears out of nowhere, girl blasts monster du jour, tune in again next week. He'd heard there really were some 'magical girls' running around Tokyo, but he'd never crossed paths with any. So magical girl is what he thought of when he'd read the file.  
  
Her true nature was a matter of some conjecture. That she could levitate and run over 400 kilometers in 24 hours were solid facts. MATRIX still hadn't found the limits to her light projection abilities. They simply couldn't afford the tools to make proper measurements.  
  
MATRIX spread out so that everyone could get a look at who their director emeritus had brought. Male, short (in comparison), well muscled, dressed in a tight blue costume with a red and gold dragon emblazoned upon it.  
  
FreeFall decided to give Jeff, and therefore the newcomer, the benefit of a doubt. He'd known Jeff longer than anyone on the current roster and had worked closely with him for a couple of years. If Jeff said this guy had what it took, FreeFall was inclined to believe him.  
  
Big Tex knew better than to judge by appearances. After all, consider his own. Tach had pulled him out of the quagmire of despair he'd fallen into once his head had changed into its current... state. He'd given an outcast a place where it didn't matter what he looked like or what his past was. A place where he could be accepted. He'd wait and see what the new guy was like. Might have to have a little fun with him though.  
  
Sparx's first thought was 'Nice bod. Wonder what he looks like under that costume?' This tells you a lot about Sparx.  
  
Limelight's emotions were well hidden behind the high tech hardware of his helmet. MATRIX was his team now. How dare Anderson exercise his charter given rights and bring in new talent without clearing it with him first. As various sensors scanned the young man and encrypted data channels flared with information, Limelight glanced at the preliminary readouts. There was something about the newcomer that his sensors weren't equipped to identify. Limelight's hostility switched over to curiosity. He'd get rid of this loser -after- he figured him out.  
  
Sunray simply made her way past the rest of the group, walked up to Ranma, stuck out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Sunray. What's your name?"  
  
Trying hard to disguise his accent, Ranma answered "Wild Dragon" as he took the young girl's hand.  
  
'Wild Dragon?' Jeff thought. 'Oh well, it's not as if I'd come up with anything.'  
  
Introductions were made and impressions were garnered. Sparx made a preliminary pass, but Jeff warned her off. After a comment on martial arts, FreeFall asked Ranma for a sparring session. Big Tex didn't say anything, but then again, he couldn't. Limelight observed minutely, but since Ranma wasn't doing anything special, he was unable to get any decent readings from him. Sunray had appointed herself ambassador and was dragging Ranma around the room, explaining how to do this, that and the other.  
  
To Ranma, Sunray was throwing herself into 'little sister' mode as much as he'd done when he had pretended to be Hibiki Yoiko. It was nice. Sparx on the other hand, was a chilling reminder of home and the fiancee problems he'd left behind. Big Tex seemed friendly enough, as did FreeFall despite the fact he felt the need to carry a gun. The bad blood between Limelight and Jeff was almost a tangible force to Ranma. There would be some questions to ask after they got back home.  
  
As Ranma was led off to the Dining Room for a welcoming brunch, FreeFall motioned to Jeff.  
  
Jeff told Ranma to "have fun" and went to talk to his former teammate.  
  
"Another one of your strays?" FreeFall asked.  
  
"Sorta. It's a long story," Jeff said to the larger man.  
  
"You really think he's ready for this? I mean, I've never heard of this guy before."  
  
"Honestly? I'm not sure. He's easily the best martial artist I've ever seen. But he plays by his own rules and it's almost too easy to use those rules against him."  
  
"Want I should rough him up a bit when we spar?"  
  
"You can try," Jeff laughed. "You can try."  
  
"He's that good?" FreeFall knew how good a hand to hand fighter he was. A brown belt in Judo and Okinawan Karate before he'd got his powers, he was downright dangerous now.  
  
"Yep. You won't believe it until you see him."  
  
"You ever go all out against him?" FreeFall knew Tach had been a decent fighter. Not in his league, but surprisingly effective.  
  
"No," Jeff stated calmly. "That part of my life is over. Besides, it would wreck the apartment if we tried it."  
  
"Thusly annoying 'She Who Is Thy Wife'," FreeFall quipped.  
  
"No, thusly annoying me."  
  
"So what all can this kid do? And don't tell me he ain't a kid. I may not be a certified genius like you and Lamelight, but if he's 18 or over, I'll eat my rifle."  
  
"Lamelight?" Jeff laughed. "Bet he loves that. As for Wild Dragon, just wait until you spar with him. You'll find out."  
  
The two men parted company, FreeFall to his day job and Jeff to see MATRIX's civilian coordinator and money manager Kyle Blackburn. Time to get Ranma's MATRIX access card and to get him officially on the payroll.  
  
-----  
  
After brunch, Limelight, Sparx and Sunray went their separate ways. As Ranma got up to look for Jeff, Big Tex held up his hand, index finger extended. Ranma guessed that he wanted to show him something, so he stopped before leaving the dining room. It was amazing how well Big Tex could get meaning across without actually saying anything.  
  
Tex poked his extended finger into his right eye, well past the surface. With a squeaking noise, Tex dragged his eye completely around his head until it was next to his left eye which hadn't moved much. Ranma was pale underneath his mask as Big Tex pulled his finger free.  
  
Big Tex held his hand up again, index finger extended once more. Suddenly, he turned his wrist and thwapped himself on the 'forehead' with his middle finger. The stretched eye released itself and whipped around Tex's head. Both eyes bonged together repeatedly before settling to their normal positions. Ranma fought hard to keep his equilibrium.  
  
Jeff's voice called from the hall, "Tex, quit scaring the new guy."  
  
-----  
  
Jeff showed Ranma into the Medical Room and introduced him to his new doctor. "Wild Dragon, meet Dr. Reginald Murchison, MATRIX staff physician and all around decent human being." Jeff stuck around in case he was needed.  
  
The man was maybe a meter fifty, maybe fifty kilos and dressed like he bought his clothes in the kid's department of a second hand store. He showed a firm grip when the two shook hands. Ranma couldn't really make a guess at his age.  
  
The physical was as thorough as any he'd received from Tofu-sensei. More so really. Although he'd have given up on the endurance test a lot earlier if Murchison-sensei hadn't mentioned that Sunray had lasted over 6 hours in her 'civilian' form.  
  
"Any medical or non-medical conditions I should be aware of?" Reg asked his blue-clad patient. So far, Wild Dragon hadn't said much other than "Yes" or "No". But he hadn't been giving the doctor any arguments. Which was better than his average patient.  
  
"Just one." Ranma peeled his left glove off and went to the sink. Sticking his arm under the faucet, he triggered his curse.  
  
The doctor blinked once, cast a quick look at Jeff who was leaning against the wall next to the diagnostic display and inquired as to which was Ranma's natural form. Ranma switched the tap to hot and reverted to normal.  
  
"This", Ranma stated simply.  
  
"All right," Reg responded while noting in his chart, 'warm or hot water irrigation for wounds is indicated for this patient.' After finishing the examination, he thought 'Sure beats the hell out of working at St. Vincent's.'  
  
-----  
  
Ranma and Jeff were sitting in the MATRIX conference room when the door slid open to reveal a handsome dark haired man in his mid forties.  
  
"Hello Tach," he said nodding to Jeff. To Ranma he began, "You must be Wild Dragon. I'm Kyle Blackburn, MATRIX civilian liaison. My job is to make your job easier." He quickly sat down, set his briefcase on the long table and opened it with precise motions.  
  
Ranma nodded without speaking.  
  
Kyle pulled a bundle out of the briefcase, removed the rubber band and starting handing things to Ranma.  
  
"Here is your MATRIX access card. Tach will show you how to activate it. Use it to enter and leave the facility. I take it you are aware of the entrances as well as the restrictions of where you can and cannot be in costume. Here is your debit card. Unlike most debit cards, ours contains a display showing how much money is left. Activate the feature by pressing on the corner like so. We don't keep track of where or how the card is used, just the amount on it."  
  
Ranma pressed the readout on his debit card. Fifteen hundred dollars?! Ranma's eyes got wide under his mask as he showed the balance to Jeff.  
  
"You've been on apprentice wages for the last six weeks," Jeff explained. "Don't worry about taxes either."  
  
Mr. Blackburn continued, "As a member of MATRIX you will receive a stipend of $500 per week credited to your account. You will also have access to MATRIX facilities for any lawful use that does not compromise MATRIX security. If needed, you can draw a special stipend of up to $2000 per month for rent assistance as the local cost of living is quite high indeed. We also maintain living facilities here."  
  
"That won't be necessary at this time," Jeff stated. Ranma nodded in agreement.  
  
A thin, metallic card was handed over next. "This is your MATRIX comm-link. Don't lose it. Tach will explain its use and activate it for you." Kyle concluded with, "If there is anything else you need, or any non-operational questions you have, please don't hesitate to call on any internal secured comset. My extension is 1089." After Ranma didn't say anything, Mr. Blackburn closed his briefcase and left the room.  
  
Jeff waited until the door/airlock tell-tale glowed green before switching on the Conference Room's security field.  
  
"OK," Jeff said as he swept up the debit card, access card and comm-link. "Now I can tell you how everything _really_ works."  
  
END CHAPTER 9 


	10. Meanwhile, Back in Nerima, part 2

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 10: Meanwhile, Back in Nerima, Part II  
  
-----  
  
What's happened so far: After a near death experience, Ranma chooses to get out of Nerima for a while. Eventually, he wrote a few letters home, which has caused various plans to be set into motion.  
  
-----  
  
After closing for the night, Shampoo approached the door of her honored ancestor's room with some misgivings. Cologne had been withdrawn of late, working on some sort of special project. In fact, she had been leaving the running of the Nekohanten almost entirely to Shampoo's own father. Unusual for a man to be given such responsibility for such a prolonged period of time. But it was either allow her father to do the work or do it herself. 'And I have more important things to do,' Shampoo thought.  
  
The door opened before Shampoo could knock. Taking this as an invitation, she entered. Cologne was sitting at her desk, apparently perusing a book of Amazon law. Closing the tome, Cologne turned to hear what her descendant had to say.  
  
"Great-grandmother, I must speak with you," Shampoo said in her native tongue.  
  
"What is it child?" Cologne asked in the same language.  
  
"I know where to find Ranma. I bid your leave to pursue him as required by Amazon law."  
  
"Ranma is in America, presumably in or around New York City. You already knew that. Why begin your pursuit now?"  
  
"I have learned where to look for him. I know where he will be. I am certain of it. To search blindly is wasteful honored ancestor."  
  
"Acceptable. But why not simply wait until he returns? I am not of the impression that he intends to emigrate."  
  
"Amazon law aside," Shampoo said, gesturing at the tome in Cologne's hands, "it is my best chance to convince Ranma to be my husband. Without kitchen destroyer, or spatula girl, or even crazy flower girl to interfere, I can show Ranma that I would be his best choice."  
  
'You've more competition than that', Cologne said internally. Aloud, Cologne asked, "And chasing him through a foreign country would do this how child?"  
  
"It would show Ranma that I am serious about him. That I truly want him."  
  
"If it were not the law of our tribe, would you chase Ranma so fervently?" The question was more important than it appeared on the surface.  
  
There was a brief moment before Shampoo answered, "Yes, honored ancestor."  
  
The response was not immediate. Had it been so, Cologne would have known that Shampoo hadn't thought about it. For her current plans to succeed, it would be important for Shampoo to deal with life outside the tenets and protections of Amazon law.  
  
"You have my leave then, with certain restrictions," Cologne finally responded.  
  
'She's going to stick me with that idiot Mousse', Shampoo thought before responding, "Yes honored ancestor."  
  
"Unless your skill with English has miraculously improved, you will take a translator with you."  
  
"Yes honored ancestor."  
  
"It need not be Mousse if you can make other arrangements."  
  
"Thank you honored ancestor."  
  
"I will have final say over those other arrangements."  
  
"Yes honored ancestor."  
  
"You will also obey the laws of America while you are there to the best of your ability, not the laws of the Joketzu."  
  
"Ancestor?" Shampoo asked in shock before noting the stern look on Cologne's face. The laws of the tribe were paramount. Why would great-grandmother do this? While Shampoo was still thinking that one over, Cologne dropped her next bombshell.  
  
"Finally, as this pursuit is your idea, you shall be the one to pay any expenses involved. Neither I nor the tribe will provide you with one yen, yuan or dollar. You may use your own resources, such as they are."  
  
"Yes honored ancestor," Shampoo said slowly. When Cologne said nothing further, Shampoo excused herself and returned to her own room to plan.  
  
'Great-grandmother gives me permission to go and then hamstrings me as only she can. Think girl, think. Obey American law, I can ignore that one as it doesn't have anything to do with me getting to America. To get there, I must have a translator that great-grandmother approves of and money. I want Mousse with me about as much as I want to eat kitchen destroyer's cooking.  
  
'Money. Does mercenary girl even have enough money to pay for two tickets to America? Even if I went as a cat and that idiot Mousse came along as a duck, how much would it cost? No, I refuse to indenture myself to Tendo Nabiki. It would be better to wait until Ranma comes back on his own. Money... Money... Of course.'  
  
-----  
  
_Dear Ranma,  
  
It was wonderful to hear from you. I am glad you are doing so well with your stay in America. Since you left, we have had very little rain at all, and what we do get is always at night. It is quite odd really.  
  
Things have been rather quiet here lately. But I assure you, that does not mean that I would not like to have you home. Grandfather Happosai was here for a brief visit, but he left after a small fight with that nice Taro Pantyhose. Poor Taro-san apparently went back to Jusenkyo and was cursed again. His monster form now has octopus tentacles on the back and he can squirt ink from his fingers. But he very kindly cleaned up all the ink he spilled after the fight.  
  
The family is well. Akane is working hard in the dojo every day. Nabiki is hardly ever home, she is so busy with her after school activities. Father is... Father. Uncle Genma and Auntie Nodoka stop by every Saturday to keep him company. Sometimes, I think he doubts that you will return. I have no doubts whatsoever.  
  
As you can see, I've enclosed a few of my simpler recipes. I did not send the ones for octopus balls or eel teriyaki. I don't think Jeff really appreciates good seafood. And yes, that was a joke. I hope you and your hosts enjoy them. Please say "hello" to Anderson-san for me.  
  
I do have a question though. Does that 'chili' recipe really call for 700 grams of ground beef? That seems like an awful lot for just six people.  
  
Wishing you good health,  
Kasumi._  
  
Kasumi hoped that Ranma would continue to be all right. She also wanted Ranma to return. Not just for her sister's sake either. Honestly, life without Ranma was... boring. But when had excitement become important to her?  
  
-----  
  
Shampoo had been there once before, during the Martial Arts Takeout Race. That had not gone well. But this time, Shampoo was there to see the female tenant of the Kuno Fortress.  
  
Mr. Green Turtle had been an interesting diversion. The armed servitors less so. The traps were just annoying after the first five or six. However, by use of sufficient amounts of Amazon cunning (little), skill (some) and brute force (lots and lots), Shampoo found herself face to bandaged face with Kuno Kodachi.  
  
Kodachi attacked the Amazon on sight. Since Shampoo wanted a favor from the insane, but rich, gymnast, she didn't simply pound Kodachi into the floor as she longed to do. Thus the swirling ribbon scored a few glancing hits before being snatched away. The spiked clubs might have been a threat in capable hands, but Shampoo was more than fast enough to avoid those long enough to disarm Kodachi.  
  
Not having a second to provide her with additional weapons put Kodachi at a disadvantage. The base-born foreigner was proving obstinate. But the tools of Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics weren't the only ones Kodachi possessed. She launched a bouquet of her trademark black roses at the purple haired harlot.  
  
Which Shampoo casually swatted back at Kodachi. The paralysis powder bomb concealed in the floral arrangement exploded in Kodachi's face. Shampoo saw Kodachi's body freeze up before falling to the stonework floor in a heap.  
  
"Shampoo want tell flower girl important thing. Shampoo know where Ranma at. Flower girl want hear rest of story?  
  
-----  
  
_Dear Ran-chan,  
  
Great to hear from you, even if I'd rather have you back in Nerima where you belong. I've been wanting to write you a letter, but couldn't because I didn't have an address. About time you got around to writing me. Nice to hear about the weather in America being more to your liking. It's been pretty good here, lots of sunshine and only a couple mornings with hard frosts so far.  
  
I'm fine. Business has been pretty good. School has been all right, if a little dull. Tsubasa keeps coming around though. No matter how many times I pound him, he keeps coming back for more. I think I know how Shampoo feels about Mousse now.  
  
Speaking of whom, I've barely seen Shampoo at all since you left. She has been keeping a very low profile. Too low. As far as I know, she hasn't crossed Akane's path at all and she was making deliveries the few times I've seen her. I think she's taking what you told her seriously. Which is kind of strange in its own way.  
  
Say "Hi" to Jeff for me. For an American, he is a pretty cool guy. But I bet you can't wait to get home and eat some real okonomiyaki. I'll send a couple more sauce recipes with my next letter, along with some notes. Maybe that will help his cooking. I promise I'll send some good ones. Only the best for you Ran-chan!  
  
By the way, I've been taking Anything Goes lessons from your father. Four hours every Sunday. First thing he did was take away all my spatulas and other stuff and fight me bare handed. I have to admit, I was pathetic. But I got one solid punch in on him last Sunday. He damn near pulled my arm out of its socket right after, but I got him. It's been very interesting. Actually interesting isn't the right word, but I'm not sure what is.  
  
And how's this for a laugh? Nabiki tried to sell me your return address. Asked 5000 yen for it. You should have seen her face after I turned her down. But if she tried to sell it to me, she may have sold it to other people. Keep your eyes open and write back soon.  
  
Ucchan_  
  
'There. Friendly, but not clingy and completely mush-free,' Ukyo thought to herself as she placed the letter in an envelope. She then noted a suspicious looking bush approach the door of her restaurant and grabbed the big spatula. Sometimes the old ways were best.  
  
-----  
  
Kodachi played possum. The arrogant purple haired serving wench thought that she would be affected by her own formulas? The fool. But still, it gave Kodachi a chance to plan her next attack as well giving her an opportunity to exploit.  
  
"Shampoo know how to find Ai- Ranma. Shampoo know flower girl want find Ranma too. If flower girl pay way, she can come along on hunt."  
  
Kodachi had purchased the return address of Ranma's letter from the horrid Tendo Nabiki that very morning. She planned to begin her pursuit of her beloved as soon as the bandages came off. Which would be the very next day. She didn't need this harridan's assistance.  
  
"And where we find Ranma, we find foreign man who interfere. Foreign man who take Ranma away. Flower girl have score to settle, no?" Shampoo knew that Ranma had left of his own free will, but pushing a few of Kodachi's buttons wouldn't hurt.  
  
Kodachi rose gracefully to her feet, her attempt at guile forgotten. Her desire for revenge against the man who had so horribly damaged her beauty was greater than her desire to be at Ranma's side. "I already possess the information which you try to sell me interloper. I am thoroughly capable of taking my own revenge against the brown haired foreigner. What possible use would you be to one such as myself, The Black Rose of Saint Hebereke High School, Kuno Kodachi?"  
  
Shampoo was caught flat-footed by Kodachi's reply. Shampoo suddenly realized that Kodachi might be insane, but she certainly wasn't stupid. At least not as stupid as she had thought. Attaching herself to Kodachi's plans might not be feasible. Maybe plan B instead. "Shampoo apologize, not know flower girl already have plan," she said as she sketched an informal bow. "Shampoo leave flower girl to revenge now."  
  
While Kodachi was mentally running through several possible responses, Shampoo was already in search of the other major tenant of Fortress Kuno.  
  
-----  
  
_Dear son,  
  
Come home soon. Your mother misses you.  
  
Saotome Genma_  
  
Genma never was much of a letter writer.  
  
-----  
  
"Ah purple haired ramen girl," began Kuno Tatewaki, "as much as you show your desire by coming to my home, nay to the very bedroom of myself, the rising star of the kendo world, the great Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School, the undefeated Kuno Tatewaki, know that I only have room in my heart for my two loves, Tendo Akane, and the pigtailed girl." The lord of the fortress was in his room, staring at the poster sized photographs of his two loves in front of him. The rest of the room was adorned with additional pictures.  
  
"How bokken boy say all that in one breath?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Circular breathing technique," Kuno explained.  
  
"Oh." There was an awkward pause. "Shampoo want to get to point now."  
  
"But I have already told you, I love another." Quickly, he added, "Two anothers. My heart can hold no more."  
  
"THAT NOT POINT!" Shampoo struggled to get herself under control. No wonder Ranma thought Kuno was a pest. He was a bigger idiot than Mousse. But since he refused to believe that Ranma and his 'pigtailed girl' were the same person...  
  
"You know Ranma leave Japan, right?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Yes. The foul sorcerer knew that he could not withstand my righteous might, so he fled like the cur that he is. Alas, the pigtailed girl seems to have left as well."  
  
"You know pigtailed girl still -with- Ranma."  
  
This turned out to be the wrong thing to say. The tirade Kuno launched into about the horribly unfair state of his poor, defenseless pigtailed girl lasted for twenty minutes. It took all of Shampoo's rapidly fading patience to calm him down and lead him back to the topic at hand.  
  
"Shampoo know where to find Ranma. And where Shampoo find Ranma, bokken boy can find pigtailed girl."  
  
"That's it!" cried Kuno, who leaped to his feet and struck a dramatic (to him) pose as thunder rumbled outside. "That explains why Tendo Nabiki tried to sell me the return address of a letter the fiend had sent to the Tendo family."  
  
"You not buy?" Shampoo asked incredulously.  
  
"Of course not. The coward fled, there is no need to know where he has gone to ground. Ah, if Tendo Nabiki had only told me this most tragic piece of news. I would have gladly paid any price. Fear not pigtailed girl, thy rescue commences forthwith!" Kuno was halfway to the door when his progress was stopped. By the time he peeled himself off the wall and turned around, Shampoo was kneeling in front of him.  
  
"May Shampoo help bokken boy with rescue?"  
  
Kuno pondered this unexpected request. "It is kind of you to offer, but how would a ramen delivery girl be able to assist one such as myself?"  
  
"Shampoo know two thing bokken boy not know. Shampoo have Ranma address. Shampoo also know crazy flower girl seek Ranma so can get revenge on brown haired foreign man who take Ranma away."  
  
For once, the mental gears inside Kuno's brain engaged without significant slippage. "My sister seeks Ranma so she can take revenge on the gaijin sorcerer?"  
  
"Is what Shampoo say."  
  
Kuno paced from one photograph covered wall to another. "The great and noble Blue Thunder finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. My mad sister is, for some strange reason, attracted to the sorcerer Saotome. However the other sorcerer, Anderson, unknowingly performed a great favor for myself by arranging her confinement. Ah, to be able to break my fast and to sup without worrying about my sister's misguided attempts to build up my resistance with her potions. Truly, it has been most pleasant." Apparently the fact that Jeff had threatened to castrate Kuno if he ever pointed a weapon at him had evaporated from Kuno's memory in the weeks and months after the event.  
  
'He sure talks a lot' Shampoo thought. "Shampoo can cook, can fight too. Can keep crazy flower girl from interfering."  
  
"Wait. Inspiration has struck like thunder," Kuno stated as he stopped pacing.  
  
"Bokken boy mean 'like lightning'?"  
  
"Nay, for I am the 'Blue Thunder', not the 'Blue Lightning'. Don't interrupt." After furrowing his brows in concentration, Kuno asked his audience of one, "Where was I?"  
  
"'Inspiration has struck like thunder'", Shampoo quoted.  
  
"Ah yes. My sister is devious, cruel and underhanded. But I do remember your performance in the 'Miss Martial Arts Takeout' race. Perhaps, if you use all your skill, you may be able to delay my sister long enough for me to defeat that wretch Saotome and wrest the pigtailed girl from his clutches at last. Will you assist me in my noble quest, purple haired ramen girl?"  
  
Inwardly puking but outwardly smiling, Shampoo managed, "Shampoo do Shampoo's very best. One question. Bokken boy speak English?"  
  
"But of course" were the first words of another twenty minute monologue. Not that Shampoo cared. She was going to America, and any obstacles would be dealt with. Permanently.  
  
-----  
  
_Dear Ranma,  
  
I am glad you are enjoying your stay in America. School has been good. The Drama Club is thinking of doing another play. I'm hoping for something that isn't Shakespeare. Maybe it will turn out better than "Romeo and Juliet".  
  
Kuno keeps going on about how he has driven you from 'The hallowed halls of Furinkan High School'. He hasn't been bothering me any more than usual, but I think he is about ready to start that 'to date Tendo Akane, you must defeat her' stuff again. I am almost looking forward to him trying.  
  
As for Kodachi, no one has seen her since before you left. Nabiki sold me information that Kodachi has gone to a plastic surgeon about her nose, but also that she didn't really have to. Which is sufficiently warped for her.  
  
And if Jeff doesn't want to tell you what I'm doing, why should I? Nyah! Just kidding. I am sure you can wait and find out when you come back. But I think the agility drills are helping. Tell Jeff I said so. When are you coming back? You did promise.  
  
As for your apology, what can I do but accept? Stay well.  
  
Tendo Akane_  
  
'I don't love him. Not that perv...' Akane couldn't force herself to finish the thought. Since Ranma had left, Akane had become less able to lie to herself. Instead of venting all of her frustrations on Ranma, she actually had to deal with some things on her own. 'And I don't miss him either.' That's less able, not unable.  
  
-----  
  
"You're kidding, right? Please tell me that you're not going to America with _Kuno_," Mousse pleaded. The part time duck was so shocked that he forgot that he loved Shampoo more than life itself.  
  
"Great-grandmother give approval. Shampoo not care what stupid Mousse think," Shampoo ground out before throwing a glass of water at Mousse and stuffing him in his cage for the night.  
  
'What the hell was she thinking?' Mousse asked himself repeatedly over the next hour. 'She' switched between Shampoo and Cologne several times before Mousse fell asleep.  
  
END CHAPTER 10  



	11. Day Two

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 11: Day Two  
  
What has happened before: Ranma had a near death experience, but is out from under the "man among men" suicide pledge. But in order to deal with the rest of his life, Ranma has gone to New York City with retired super hero Jeff Anderson. Ranma also joined the super team MATRIX as "Wild Dragon". Meeting his allies went well enough, but how about the rest of the world?  
  
-----  
  
Jeff reluctantly let FreeFall and Big Tex take Ranma 'mugger hunting' in Central Park after sunset. (Limelight thought the practice beneath him, Sunray had homework and Sparx was "busy".) While he wanted to oversee this part of Ranma's training personally, he didn't want to get back into costume to do so. Jeff felt like a parent turning over car keys to a child who had just got his license. He was proud and wary at the same time. The knowledge that Ranma wasn't bullet proof weighed only lightly in Jeff's mind.  
  
It wasn't until three the next morning that Ranma crawled in through the hidden roof shaft. Jeff, much like any parent whose child comes home late, was waiting up for him. Ranma was in his normal clothes and didn't have a mark on him.  
  
"How'd it go?" Jeff asked as nonchalantly as possible.  
  
"Too easy. I not break sweat entire time. Even Akane better than bozos I fight tonight. They think all they need are weapons. Bah."  
  
"Any guns?"  
  
"Four. But one guy make big show of putting gun away before he take swing at me. Why did he do that?"  
  
"Quid pro quo."  
  
"Huh?" It wasn't fair for Jeff to throw a Latin phrase into an English conversation.  
  
"I told you a few weeks back about the five basic threats you'll come across when fighting normal humans," Jeff said.  
  
"Empty handed, blunt weapon, edged weapon, firearm and other," Ranma rattled off.  
  
"Nice to know you were paying attention. Hopefully you also remember what I said about response in kind."  
  
"Yeah. 'Sufficient force to end threat, not maximum force for every threat'."  
  
"Close enough. A man with a gun provides a higher threat level than an unarmed man." Seeing that Ranma was about to interrupt, Jeff continued, "In most cases. Remember, we're talking about normal people here."  
  
Thinking a moment, Ranma said, "So he dropped the threat level... because he thought I wouldn't hurt him as much if he did."  
  
"That's my guess."  
  
"Weird."  
  
"Well, what did you do to him?"  
  
"Dropped him with knuckle punch to solar plexus. Cops took over before he got his wind back. They wanted to question me until they saw that I was with FreeFall and Big Tex."  
  
"How about the other three?"  
  
"Disarmed them before knocking out. Dislocated one guy's trigger finger. Another one took shot at me, missed and hit FreeFall."  
  
Jeff didn't bother asking if FreeFall was injured. Paul's ability to dissipate kinetic energy allowed him to ignore anything fired from a handgun. "I guess the man who put away his gun was right. He ended up conscious," Jeff observed before yawning mightily and going to bed.  
  
Ranma gave Jeff's retreating form an odd look before turning in himself.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma awoke at the crack of noon, ate brunch and spent a couple of hours with Anne doing schoolwork. After that, he changed into costume and left the apartment via the roof access shaft. FreeFall had asked to meet him at 3:00 PM above the southeast corner of Central Park to show him around the city. After all, Ranma had made it pretty clear he wasn't familiar with Manhattan the night before.  
  
A holographic projector activated by Ranma's comm-link covered the departure of the hoversled from prying eyes. Sound wasn't a problem. The ducted fans were surprisingly quiet unless you firewalled the throttle. Even then, they were barely noticeable over the background noise of the city.  
  
Ranma rose to 600 meters altitude and drifted north until he was picked up by the main holoprojector at MATRIX HQ. Once the larger device was covering him, he flew north to Chelsea Park before dropping cloak. Jeff had informed him that it was one of the better landmarks to pop in above.  
  
He was slowly flying towards Central Park when his comm-link vibrated for attention. Double tapping the right eye of his dragon emblem, Ranma accepted the call.  
  
"FreeFall to Wild Dragon. Report of a large fire near Union Square. I'm going to check it out, so I guess I'll play tour guide later."  
  
Ranma whipped his head around and saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky almost directly south. He felt like a fool for not noticing it earlier. Tapping the dragon's left eye, Ranma responded, "I see it. In route." Ranma banked his craft in the proper direction and opened up the throttle.  
  
A different voice came over the channel. "This is Limelight. Observation only. Let the fire department do its job."  
  
Ranma frowned under his mask. 'I bet if Jeff were running things, we'd be going in,' he thought. He spotted FreeFall's hoversled in the distance and pulled up alongside as if he'd been using a hoversled all his life instead of just a few days.  
  
FreeFall motioned him over to a nearby building where they 'parked' their hoversleds four meters above the actual roof. It was an easy jump down for both men.  
  
"Why don't we go in?" Ranma asked FreeFall once the two men had their bearings.  
  
"Because it's usually better if we don't in a fire. Those guys have six months or more of training plus up to twenty years of experience. I don't and I'm willing to bet you don't either," FreeFall answered as they walked to the edge of the roof's retaining wall.  
  
Ranma nodded in acknowledgment, but the thought of doing nothing in the face of a crisis bothered him. "Should at least see if they need help."  
  
FreeFall replied, "Yeah, we can see if they need a hand."  
  
The FDNY had things well in hand. There was a pumper truck and a hook and ladder on the scene with trained professionals going into action. Linkages to fire hydrants had been made and already, water was being sprayed on the flames shooting from the fourth and fifth floors. Civilians were being evacuated in an orderly fashion and the whole mess seemed well under control.  
  
That was until a series of explosions rippled up the building, throwing the fire fighters efforts into chaos.  
  
"Hit the panic button. We're going in!" FreeFall shouted as he leapt from the 12 story building he and Ranma had been observing from. Ranma triggered the emergency call signal as he leapt from the roof of the building, caromed off a building on the other side of the narrow alley and repeated the process as necessary to reach an altitude that was safe for him to drop to the ground.  
  
Despite all the stories that Jeff had told him, and despite what he'd gone through in his own life, Ranma wasn't prepared for the scene that greeted him once he left the alley. The extension arm on the ladder truck had snapped, spilling the man inside the bucket onto the street below. His left arm was obviously broken, but he was safe for the moment. The exit from which many of the building's occupants had been leaving was engulfed in flames. The cries of the wounded mixed with the shouts of those who desperately wanted to restore order. And for a split second, Ranma did nothing.  
  
A shrill cry galvanized Ranma into action. Racing across the debris covered street, he leapt up and caught an infant who had been dropped from a third story window. Kicking off from the wall, he flipped in mid air to land safely with his tiny burden. He looked around for some safe place he could leave the baby. He didn't find one, but a fireman came and took the child from him.  
  
Voices came over his comm-link, but Ranma didn't consciously hear them. If he needed to know what they said, his subconscious would call back later. He saw FreeFall carry a fallen fire fighter out of the building. 'Rescue the civilians. Right,' he thought before heading into the building. As he went, the pale blue aura of his 'Soul of Ice' technique grew around him.  
  
Ranma was preparing to reenter the building for the third time when the cavalry arrived. Sparx came and swept up the smoke, which allowed everyone to see and breathe easier. Ranma swore he'd never make fun of her powers again. The rest of the team arrived at the same time as more fire units. Ranma finally started hearing what came over his comm-link. He began to think instead of just react. Limelight came up with a plan on the spot and MATRIX went to work.  
  
Sparx stayed with the job of controlling the smoke that rose from the burning structure. Sunray levitated up to windows and evacuated those trapped one at a time. Big Tex led the way back into the building, removing any obstacles to the fire fighter's progress. Fallen beams, reinforced doors, flaming debris, it didn't matter to him. Limelight absorbed what heat energy he could to keep the fire from getting any hotter and coordinated the team.  
  
FreeFall and Wild Dragon were about to sweep the building from the top down when Limelight's voice crackled over their comm-links. The fire was a diversion. The real crime was a raid on the Science and Technology Convention at the Javits Center. Limelight detailed FreeFall and Wild Dragon to investigate the situation while the rest of MATRIX dealt with the fire.  
  
Using their remote call signals, FreeFall and Ranma summoned their hoversleds. Not even waiting for the 'sleds to come to a stop, both men leapt from the top of the burning building toward the flying machines. FreeFall, due to his powers, drifted down to land lightly on his 'sled.  
  
Ranma wasn't as lucky. The fire department, once again spraying water on the blaze, struck Ranma with a stray blast. His costume, although proof against accidental spills, wasn't designed to repel that much water. His curse activated. The change in mass and the momentum imparted by the water altered Ranma's trajectory enough to miss his, now her, intended target. Ranma debated yelling on the way down but decided that eight stories was survivable, if somewhat painful.  
  
Sparx, still directing smoke away from the burning structure, suspended that activity long enough to make the save. Although surprised by the sudden alteration of a muscular young man to a curvaceous young woman, she acted professionally by dropping Ranma back on the waiting hoversled before returning to her prior task. Ranma never saw her shudder of revulsion.  
  
FreeFall witnessed the entire incident. Fortunately, he'd been in the hero business long enough to have seen much stranger things than instant sex changes. He spared a moment's thought to Sparx's performance and asked over his comm-link, "You will explain that, right?"  
  
Not trusting her voice, Ranma merely nodded as the two hoversleds raced northwest towards the Javits Center. The less than two mile flight took just over a minute and ended in a hail of gunfire. Two black clad gunmen were shooting semi-automatics from the roof. FreeFall couldn't return fire because any miss would damage the acres of glass that made up the roof of the convention center. Anyone hit with shards falling from that height could easily be killed.  
  
Ranma followed FreeFall's example and dropped altitude to put himself level with the gunman. A few rounds bounced off the windshield of his hoversled, marking, but not penetrating the protective Lexan¨ barrier.  
  
Moving with unspoken coordination, FreeFall and Ranma lined up for a close pass at the gunmen's position. Because of his powers, FreeFall had to jump first, but Ranma instantly figured out the plan and followed suit. Using their now unmanned hoversleds as a screen, both heroes landed on the roof and quickly dispatched their respective targets.  
  
Unfortunately, this was seen through the glass ceiling by the remaining mercenaries. Knowing better than to bring all that glass down on their own heads, those on guard at the Crystal Palace called their leaders to inform them of the situation.  
  
As far as the raiders were concerned, everything was progressing right on schedule. Those technological items that the mercenaries' masters were interested in had already been gathered. On their own initiative, various gunmen were grabbing anything that looked promising as well as any wallets, purses, jewelry or other valuables they could get their hands on. Now that the opposition had arrived, it was time to spring the second diversion and make good their exit.  
  
While FreeFall and Ranma made their way to ground level, the second diversion came up a broad flight of stairs to meet them. There were three men and a woman. Ranma recognized two from Jeff's files. FreeFall knew all four and hoped Wild Dragon, in her... current state, was as good as Jeff had indicated.  
  
The woman was FreeFall's old nemesis Hangtime. Exposed to a stronger variant of the same energy field that had given him his powers, she'd received related, but superior, abilities. The good news for FreeFall was that they automatically neutralized each other's powers when they got close, leaving him the advantage. The bad news was that she had backup.  
  
The smallest of the three men was Brick. No stronger than a normal man, he couldn't be hurt by any force FreeFall could bring to bear. Even when Brick did get hurt, the Oriental could absorb life energy through skin to skin contact to heal himself. That explained why his costume was little more than a pair of dark red briefs and ankle high boots.  
  
Next was the red and yellow clad Firebug. Although he wore a light power suit that enabled him to fly and provided some protection, it was known that at least part of his ability to control and resist fire was inborn. A known explosives expert, he was the mostly like cause of the Union Square fire.  
  
The largest of the three men was Ground. A top notch hand to hand fighter, his only power was to temporarily neutralize all other superhuman abilities within an certain radius. The biggest downside was that he couldn't distinguish between friend and foe when he did it. If he ever gained control of that ability, he'd be dangerous.  
  
Ranma didn't really care about any of this. Sure, she'd rather have been male, but a fight was a fight and she was way overdue for a good one. So the entire 'think first, act second' thing was temporarily set aside. At least as a girl, she could attack any of her opponents with a clear conscience. With a chi-enhanced bound, Ranma leapt into the midst of the four villains. Each arm and leg had a target, and Ranma figured she could nail all four of them at once.  
  
Hangtime accelerated her temporal perception, allowing her plenty of time to evade the attacking girl. She didn't want to fight FreeFall as she knew what would happen if she did. But she should easily be able to use her enhanced strength to crush this slip of a girl who dared to attack her before FreeFall neutralized her powers.  
  
Ground didn't recognize the martial arts style of the attacker, but was still able to block the initial kick sent his way. He had to give the girl credit. Attacking one on four meant she was brave. Stupid, but brave. But a jump that high meant she had to be using super powers of some sort. Powers she wouldn't have for long.  
  
Brick wasn't hurt by the punch he took. No normal person was strong enough to hurt him. The force was still enough to knock him back down the stairs. 'Damn that girl is fast', he thought.  
  
Firebug couldn't get off a clear shot at the girl who leapt toward he and his temporary allies. Nor was he anywhere near fast enough to avoid the girl's kick. Nor was his light armor strong enough to completely blunt the force of the surprisingly hard blow. She actually managed to hurt him. Which meant she would burn the slow way. But first, he needed to get a little altitude from which he could shoot without being attacked in return.  
  
Ranma couldn't believe she'd only nailed two of her targets. The big man blocked his kick cleanly, and the woman had simply dodged his punch. Fortunately, his girl form was faster than his normal body. Otherwise, the viciously fast kick from the woman would have knocked her straight into the big man's right cross.  
  
That the man's punch was merely a feint to cover a snap kick didn't affect Ranma's ability to dodge. But the blow came closer than Ranma liked. The problem was Ranma normally fought one on one duels. Multiple opponents occasionally posed problems.  
  
FreeFall was in a dilemma. Getting close to Hangtime would neutralize her powers while reducing his own combat abilities. But Ground could do the same thing at any time. Which would definitely leave the villains with the advantage. That was before he saw the results of Wild Dragon's first attack. After seeing that, he smiled and popped off two shots at the rising Firebug. The first was a clean miss while the second struck the feed mechanism for Firebug's right side mini incendiary launcher, setting off the chambered round.  
  
Firebug had to concentrate to keep the burning gel from hurting him. He had to get the fire under control before it set off the rest of his ammo supply. If that happened, he wasn't sure he could stop the chain reaction from broiling him alive.  
  
The air pressure from Hangtime's near misses told Ranma that she didn't want to let her connect with anything. If the woman had technique to match her speed, she'd have been dangerous. And if Ground's speed matched his technique, he too would have been trouble. Separately, either one would've been no problem. Unfortunately, the two of them forced Ranma to stay on the defensive long enough for Brick to rejoin the fight.  
  
Believing that neither FreeFall or the girl could actually hurt him, Brick dived right back into the fight, knocking Ranma to the floor. Ranma's attempt to roll clear was stopped by a hand on her ankle. The loss of mobility was enough for Hangtime to get in a solid kick.  
  
It felt like one of Ryoga's punches. Maybe a bit weaker. It was still more than enough to knock her from Brick's grasp and a good six meters away. Twisting in mid air, she landed next to the glass wall that separates the Crystal Palace from the 11th Avenue sidewalk.  
  
Before Hangtime could follow up on her successful attack, FreeFall came close enough to cancel both their powers. The fight was twelve seconds old.  
  
Ranma shook her head to clear it and saw Ground and Brick bearing down on her. They tried to flank the blue clad martial artist, but Ranma would have none of it. While ducking a kick and evading another grappling attempt, Ranma noticed FreeFall had holstered his rifle and was making quick work of the woman. She also saw Firebug pointing his left arm at FreeFall's blind side.  
  
"Look out!" cried Wild Dragon as she leapt the ten meters between her former location and the armored villain. Ranma wasn't fast enough to keep Firebug from getting his shot off, but the warning wasn't needed as Firebug's shot struck Hangtime squarely in the back.  
  
Hangtime didn't panic. FreeFall let her go, almost by reflex. As soon as that happened, she peeled off her burning jacket in one smooth motion and threw it at him. Killing her long time adversary or this new girl would have to wait until after she killed Firebug. Barking an order for Brick and Ground to attack FreeFall, she turned to flee. If she could get far enough away, her powers would return. Given that, she could make her escape and to hell with the rest of them.  
  
Firebug had his own problems. The small girl who had jumped at least 10 meters laterally and over 5 meters vertically was beating the crap out of him. Someone that size had no business hitting that hard. His armor wasn't strong enough to protect against the furious blows the screaming blue clad girl was making at a rate that even Hangtime couldn't match. He lost consciousness before the attack was half over. Only his flight suit safety systems kept him from crashing into the ground.  
  
Brick hadn't seen anyone jump like that since he'd left Japan. Something about the way the girl moved bothered him, but there was no time to worry about it now.   
  
Wild Dragon leapt down from the hovering Firebug with what would have been a contemptuous look on her face had she not been wearing a mask. Ranma had hoped that a costumed opponent would be tougher than the muggers he'd fought the night before.  
  
Ground reached FreeFall just as Hangtime got far enough away for both their powers to turn on. Hangtime, concerned about the possibility of reinforcements, chose the better part of valor. Pushing her temporal acceleration power to the limit, she ran off in an explosion of displaced air and shattered glass. Ground's punch connected full force, but with his powers active, FreeFall barely noticed.  
  
Ranma moved toward the rest of the fight. With one down and one fled, she figured the other two should be a piece of cake. But for once, Ranma was wrong.  
  
Ground knew he stood no chance against FreeFall unless he released his own power. Brick would just have to take his chances. Ground unleashed his one and only super human ability.  
  
In a flash, everything changed. Ranma's female body, normally light as a feather and fast as a whirlwind, felt incredibly heavy and ridiculously slow. It felt as if she was carrying Ryoga's backpack while walking on the bottom of the ocean. Her could barely sense her chi. Not even enough for a decent jump. But Ranma Saotome was a martial artist, and never one to give up at the first sign of trouble.  
  
Brick knew that Ground had let loose. He could feel the difference. Gone was his superhuman durability. Gone was his tireless endurance. Gone was his ability to drain life force from others to replenish his own. This terrified him. Even slowed to a fraction of her accustomed speed, Ranma took him out in under twenty seconds.  
  
While Ranma was learning her limitations, Ground was handily beating FreeFall. One edge FreeFall's powers gave to him was the ability to move faster by reducing the amount of inertia in his own body. Add to this enhanced strength and durability. On top of that, add a fair amount of martial arts training and practice which made his enhanced body a much more effective tool for those arts. Take away the extra speed, power and durability and FreeFall is still a decent fighter. But Ground, formerly a world ranked heavyweight kickboxer, was a whole lot better.  
  
Normally Ranma wouldn't interfere in a one on one fight. But she guessed that whatever screwed her up had also zapped FreeFall. He was moving way too slow. Ranma arrived just as FreeFall was kicked hard enough to leave his feet and slide a good distance across the floor.  
  
Ranma played for time. From what Jeff's files had said, the effects of Ground's power seldom lasted more than a minute. He was still faster than Ground, but the margin wasn't enough to avoid all the kicks, punches, knee and elbows from his opponent. The strikes hurt a lot more than they should and her own blows didn't seem to be inflicting much damage. She needed to hit a pressure point.  
  
Ducking one kick only set her up for a elbow to the back of her head. Ranma rolled with the impact, but was still knocked to the ground and somewhat dazed. Ground raised his leg to stomp Ranma's neck when a gunshot got both their attention.  
  
"Next one goes through your spine Harry," FreeFall said shakily. He looked hurt. But braced from a kneeling position, he held his rifle rock steady on target.  
  
Ground looked around. Brick was down, Firebug was hovering unconscious nearby and their so-called leader had fled. The effects of his power neutralizing blast would be wearing off soon and he wouldn't be able to release another for at least ten minutes. Slowly he lowered his foot and raised his hands over his head.  
  
The fight was over.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma's chi sense, as well as the rest of her, returned to normal before the rest of MATRIX arrived at the Javits Center. The aftermath took a lot longer than the fight, which was pretty standard from everything she'd learned. Cleaning up always takes more time than making a mess. Ranma let everyone else do the talking. It turned out while she and FreeFall had been fighting the villains, the mercenaries had gotten away with a few valuable prototypes and an undetermined amount of money and other loot. At best it was only a partial victory.  
  
A few photographers had snapped pictures of the new heroine and many questions were asked, but other than Limelight providing the name of "Wild Dragon", none were answered. He had to give credit, Jeff might not like the man, but Limelight knew how to work a crowd of reporters. Eventually, Ranma was able to board his hoversled and rise into the darkening November sky.  
  
It wasn't until the whole team regrouped at the Matrix HQ's Conference Room that Limelight blew up. How dare Wild Dragon not mention something like being a shapeshifter? What other powers was he hiding? What was Anderson trying to pull? The outburst lasted until Big Tex lightly placed his hand on Limelight's left shoulder and squeezed until the green and black clad man shut up.  
  
His point made, Big Tex nodded once before leaving the room.  
  
In a tone made even more level by the voice modulator built into his helmet, Limelight said, "I believe a break is in order. We'll meet back here in 15 minutes."  
  
Big Tex, Sparx, and FreeFall all went to shower and change costumes. Or in Big Tex's case, change clothes. Sunray just reverted to 'civilian' form as a more effective and much faster way to get clean on her way to the kitchen. Limelight showed no intention of leaving the conference room at all.  
  
Ranma didn't feel like staying with Limelight, so he left the conference room and wandered into the hall. Inspired, he ran upstairs to the bedroom that Jeff had showed him during his tour. His access card served to open the door and lock it behind him.  
  
Ranma pulled off her costume and jumped into the shower. When the hot water returned him to male form, he felt relieved. Who knew if Ground's power might mess up a Jusenkyo curse? Five minutes into the fifteen minute break saw Ranma out of the shower and dried off. He spotted a phone on the bedside table and checked to see if it worked.  
  
It took three tries to punch in his access code, but soon enough he was dialing his temporary home.  
  
"Hello?" asked Anne's voice.  
  
"Oh good, it's you. I need to ask question."  
  
"Are you all right?" Anne asked. She didn't use any names because she didn't know who might be listening. She'd also seen some of the news coverage of the fire and the fight.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. But I got my... clothes... dirty and have nothing to wear. Have big meeting in eight minutes."  
  
"You're in Bedroom 3? Right?"  
  
"Yes. How..."  
  
"Caller ID. Go over to the keypad, punch in your access code and then 2678863. A housebot will bring you a spare."  
  
"I didn't know I even had spare costume."  
  
"Hey, I didn't get where I am today without planning ahead."  
  
Ranma decided not to question that particular comment and instead ended the conversation. He punched the needed keys and waited. Less than two minutes later, the keypad chimed indicating something wanted in. Some sort of automated trolley carrying a new costume rolled into the room once he opened the door.  
  
Pulling on the clean clothes, Ranma prepared to return to the conference room. He was nearly out the door when he turned around, peeled back his left sleeve and splashed a little cold water on his arm. Best to return to the meeting in the same condition she'd left. 'Now to stop by the kitchen for some props,' she thought as she headed downstairs.  
  
-----  
  
The demonstration of Ranma's curse went well enough. He could see that Sparx wasn't taking it well, Sunray was fascinated and that FreeFall didn't particularly care. He couldn't read Big Tex's smiley face or Limelight's armored one.  
  
When asked what other tricks he had up his sleeves, Ranma demonstrated the basic amiguriken by throwing a handful of peanuts into the air and snatching all of them before they hit the table. He did inform them that it was normally done with chestnuts and an open fire.  
  
Ranma also demonstrated his Soul of Ice and explained that it was part of a technique that wasn't safe to demonstrate indoors. Finally, he admitted to his fear of cats, but didn't explain the Neko-ken. That was one secret he intended to keep. Robert the Talking Cat's status as an auxiliary was brought up by FreeFall, but Limelight stated that they could easily keep the two separated.  
  
The Moko Takabisha wasn't mentioned at all. It was the newest thing in Ranma's arsenal but he didn't have all the bugs worked out yet. Besides, his confidence had taken quite a hit because of the whole 'my mother wants to decapitate me' thing. Best to save it for an emergency.  
  
After the meeting was over, Ranma de-stressed with two hours of katas in the gym. He never suspected that his every move was being recorded, analyzed and dissected by Limelight. If he could discover and make use of the principles involved, his suit's combat programming would be receiving a massive upgrade.  
  
END CHAPTER 11 


	12. Convergence

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 12: Convergence  
  
What has happened before: Ranma, after getting out from under the "man among men" suicide pledge, has traveled to New York City with retired super hero Jeff Anderson to get his life together. But there are those who are determined to have their say, whether Ranma wants to hear it or not.  
  
-----  
  
Thanksgiving was not a tradition that Ranma had ever experienced before. While the Japanese calendar was full of festivals and other holidays, Ranma didn't recall anything like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Anne and Jeff had to explain who most of the giant balloons were, and even then, they were stumped twice. Little Bill just smiled at the colors and the noise. Big Bill was stretched out on Ranma's futon. Not wanting to fight holiday traffic, he'd come to his daughter's home for Thanksgiving dinner the night before. Ranma gave the older man his bed and slept on the couch instead.  
  
As far as meta-human activities went, it was quiet. There was something like a gentleman's agreement that put the event, along with Times Square on New Year's Eve, off limits to much of the super villain community. Anne figured it was because they liked to have fun now and then too. Jeff wasn't worried, he knew Strike Force Alpha was providing high cover anyway. Plus, if prior years were any guideline, over half the meta-human population of New York was watching the parade from some vantage point.  
  
This allowed the Anderson family, plus one, to watch the event in peace before returning home for the preparation and consumption of an enormous meal. Knowing her husband ate enough for two people and her house guest for three, Anne hoped the fourteen pound turkey would be enough. Not everything was made from scratch, she wasn't that determined a cook, but Anne wasn't expecting any complaints.  
  
Ranma demolished the last of the pumpkin pie after eating as much as Anne, Jeff and Big Bill combined. This did not go unnoticed. "Looks like your friend there can really pack it away. You forget to feed the poor boy this week?" Big Bill asked as he dried another dish.  
  
"I think he's just showing off Dad," Anne answered as she began rinsing what had been a bowl full of cranberries in sauce when the meal started. Apparently, Ranma liked cranberries... and turkey... and sage dressing... and mashed potatoes... and pumpkin pie... and...  
  
While Anne and her father did dishes, and Ranma tried to get Lil' Bill to make a proper fist, Jeff was in the master bedroom taking a status report from Monster. A red event flag popped up on his screen half way through. Jeff opened the flag, read the computer generated note and swore quietly but very thoroughly.  
  
'No need to bother Ranma with this yet,' he thought. Pulling up one of his many contingency files, he glanced over the instruction list and told Monster to get busy executing it.  
  
-----  
  
Kodachi unwrapped the last of her bandages herself. No one else could be present, lest the work she had paid so highly for fail in restoring her beauty. The unwrapping complete, she slowly turned to face her mirror. And smiled.  
  
Her face was prefect. Once more the world would have the pleasure and privilege of seeing her elegant, refined features. The heart shaped face, the delicate nose, the perfect lips. Yes, all had been restored. She could now begin executing the plans she had made. The plans that would inevitably lead to taking her rightful place at her beloved Ranma's side.  
  
"Let those who would try to stop the Black Rose tremble. Ranma shall be mine! OH HOHOHOHOHOHO!!" Kodachi's laugh rang out across Nerima for the first time in over six weeks.  
  
A plastic surgeon, who had made an obscene profit from the relatively simple procedure of realigning a little cartilage, shivered on his way to cash a very large check given to him by a very short black-clad man.  
  
Kuno Tatewaki looked up from his task of choosing which photographs of Tendo Akane and the pigtailed girl to take with him. He suddenly decided that the four albums he'd already selected would have to suffice.  
  
Kasumi paused momentarily in taking down the laundry. Something deep in her subconscious thought, "Not quite an emergency."  
  
Shampoo, Ukyo and Akane all sneezed.  
  
Ranma, sleeping off a turkey induced tryptophan overdose, shuddered without knowing why.  
  
The Kunos left Japan on separate flights. Kodachi, who had been planning and preparing for weeks, entered the United States with scarcely a ripple. Her flights had been first class, her trip from airport to hotel was by chauffeured limousine and her hotel suite provided a lovely view of Central Park. She knew better than to bring her Martial Arts Gymnastics gear through Customs, but the problem of proper armament had already been addressed. One phone call would have people bringing weapons to her for her approval and selection. Once she was suitably armed, the hunt could begin.  
  
Kuno Tatewaki on the other hand, was not much of a planner. He simply told Sasuke to "Obtain suitable transportation and lodging for myself, the rising star of the kendo world, the great Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School, the undefeated Kuno Tatewaki and the purple haired ramen delivery girl."  
  
Sasuke arranged for a chartered jet and lodgings at a hotel near the Japan Society building on East 47th. He took care of his master's travel documents and obtained suitable fakes for Shampoo. Sasuke had mixed thoughts about the whole situation. Having both his charges out of the fortress would give he and the rest of the staff a long overdue vacation. But who would protect them (from themselves if no one else) while they were gone? He'd been ordered to stay in Nerima, so he couldn't do it.  
  
Very reluctantly, Sasuke began dropping coins into the pay phone installed in the servant's quarters. He'd been saving this favor for many years, but what choice did he have? His charges must be protected.  
  
-----  
  
The week after Thanksgiving had proved fairly quiet. The only MATRIX mission was a fight against a magician who had summoned a horde of monster bugs from another dimension. Limelight and Sunray knocked out the mage with a combined force/light blast. Playing exterminator took a lot longer.  
  
During the fight, Ranma observed his teammates when he wasn't too busy with his own opponents. Each had their preferred methods. Big Tex was direct. He picked the largest targets available and keep swinging until they fell down. FreeFall preferred shooting from a distance, but also mixed it up with good effectiveness when necessary. Limelight was difficult to gauge. He stayed airborne until all the flying bugs were taken care of and then fought shoulder to shoulder with Big Tex the rest of the way. Sparx used a lot of evasion and misdirection. She never engaged a bug directly. Sunray was almost pure sniper. Using carefully timed sunbursts, she managed to blind many of bugs without harming her own side. Then taking full advantage of whatever cover she could find, she fired burst after burst of burning light into her targets.  
  
As for his own performance, Ranma appreciated having something he could pound on without having to hold back. But without a guiding intelligence, the bugs weren't much of a threat. He'd have much rather gone a few rounds with Ryoga.  
  
On his own initiative, he offered to teach the rest of MATRIX martial arts. Only Sunray accepted, even though FreeFall finally set a time for their long delayed sparring match. Although he was disappointed, Ranma decided he had to start somewhere.  
  
-----  
  
The problem with calling in old favors is occasionally the people who owe you the favor are no longer around to collect from. In this case, the organization Sasuke contacted was still around, but the new leader of that enterprise didn't feel any obligation to help the ninja. He did know an opportunity when he saw it however. His operatives were certainly ready for another mission since the Javits Center job had gone so well.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma and FreeFall bowed formally to each other, signifying the end of their two hour long sparring session. Ranma smiled with the joy of giving more than he'd got. The big man was clearly a better hand to hand fighter than Jeff. Jeff fought instinctively and relied on speed. FreeFall had formal training and it showed. While not as fast as Jeff, the solid foundation of martial arts technique FreeFall possessed made excellent use of what speed he had. Ranma figured a match between FreeFall and his father could prove interesting.  
  
Ranma also learned what kind of difference super human abilities made in a fight. FreeFall's ability to automatically dissipate kinetic energy was difficult to overcome. His superhuman leaps made Ranma feel at home. FreeFall was much more disciplined than Ryoga, if not as strong. It was the farthest Ranma had been pushed since coming to America.  
  
As for the match itself, even though Ranma connected far more often, he had to use chi to inflict damage. Without chi, aikido techniques were his most effective tools. He'd tried some judo early, but FreeFall was Olympic caliber in that discipline. Despite his best efforts, Ranma had been thrown several times, usually while making an aerial assault. 'That's where Jeff picked that up,' he thought to himself. Overall, it was an interesting two hours. Both men agreed they'd have to do it again sometime. After cleaning up, they went to the kitchen to refuel their bodies and discuss the session.  
  
"I could tell when you were using that chi stuff. You got faster and stronger and I could feel the hits. Didn't feel a thing the rest of the time. It's like what I've got. Although mine's constant, you have to consciously use yours," FreeFall said before taking a bite out of his ham sandwich and a pull from his beer.  
  
Ranma politely finished chewing and swallowed before he responded, "I know what chi feels like, what you have... is not chi."  
  
"But it does the same stuff. At least from what you've said," FreeFall replied. "Increased strength, speed and durability for starters."  
  
"Yeah," Ranma agreed. "But chi comes from within, it is not something that someone gives you."  
  
"Like hell."  
  
"I think I know more about chi than you do," Ranma said confidently.  
  
"And I know some things you don't. When Ground zapped my powers, you got screwed up too. Right?  
  
"But-"  
  
"Am I right?"  
  
"Yeah. But... I did not lose all my chi." Ranma covered his unease by taking a bite from his own sandwich.  
  
FreeFall thought that over while taking another pull from his beer. "Heck that probably proves me right. If you're generating all this chi, why didn't you lose all of it when you got zapped?"  
  
"I... don't know," Ranma slowly admitted.  
  
"Simplest answer is you've got some chi, but you're drawing most of it from outside sources. If you think of Ground's power as a way to disrupt energy flows, it makes perfect sense."  
  
Ranma didn't think it was that simple. Jeff had explained Ockham's Razor to him, but that was just a theory, not a natural law. Considering his life, it wasn't even that good of a theory. But could FreeFall be right? "Is that how Ground's power works?"  
  
FreeFall shrugged and said, "You'd have to ask a bigger brain than mine for that one. Tach might know, but I think Limelight would be the better one to ask. With that powersuit of his, he probably knows more physics."  
  
Ranma merely nodded in acknowledgement. When FreeFall noticed the time, he quickly finished his sandwich, and left the building on his hoversled soon after. This left Ranma alone with his thoughts. Since he didn't really like that particular feeling, he left MATRIX headquarters soon after.  
  
Once he returned 'home', Ranma meditated on what FreeFall had said. Could he be correct? He remembered how heavy and slow he'd felt after Ground let loose with his nullifying power. Was chi something that truly came from within, or was he just a lens that focused energy from his surroundings? Did it even make a difference? It was a question that Jeff couldn't help him with. It was, Ranma realized, a question that he'd have to answer on his own. For some reason, he felt good about that.  
  
-----  
  
Shampoo and Kuno had taken a few days to get settled. The plan to watch Ranma's post office box had been explained to the point where even the mighty "Blue Thunder" understood it. Observation points had been carefully chosen. All that was required now was patience.  
  
While Ranma sat in his room and contemplated the true nature of chi, Shampoo came to relieve Kuno for her shift of postal surveillance. 'Maybe there are better ways to do this,' she thought. All the watching and waiting was driving her nuts.  
  
Kuno was still going on about the failure of Ranma to appear and take his proper punishment when a man boldly walked up to Ranma's mailbox, opened it with a key and emptied it. It certainly wasn't her airen, nor was it his meddling American friend. Could this place be a blind drop? Ranma wasn't that clever, so it had to be the American's doing.  
  
Before the man could lose himself in the crowd, she'd grabbed Kuno by the sleeve of his coat and dragged him off in pursuit. It hadn't been that difficult to get him to forego his usual attire. The cold December air was powerful persuasion. Her own clothing hid her distinctive hair color. No sense in allowing herself to be spotted by her target. Although she did admit the long rectangular box that held Kuno's bokken and the rather large package containing her own bonbori were conspicuous enough. 'Soon airen. Soon you will know that I am the only one for you.'  
  
The quarry walked south along 8th Avenue at a steady pace. It was no problem at all for Shampoo and Kuno to keep up. But as they continued to follow the man, both began to feel a vague sort of unease. The neat rectangular street pattern of Manhattan above 14th Street dissolved into the chaos of Greenwich Village.  
  
"This doth not feel right purple haired ramen girl," Kuno said as their quarry finally turned from 8th Avenue and headed west toward the Hudson River.  
  
If that imbecile Kuno could feel that something was wrong, then perhaps she should heed her own instincts. "Shampoo think so too. Something not right. Strange man never look back once for entire time." They had been in pursuit for twenty minutes, but it was true.  
  
"Americans do tend to ignore their surroundings. But this... Tis most unusual." As they rounded the corner their quarry had turned, they were just in time to see him turn down an alley on their left.  
  
"Hmm. Shampoo think bad idea to follow too too close now. Shampoo take three jump to roof over there and see down into alley. Can bokken boy follow?"  
  
"It ill fits the dignity of the scion of the House of Kuno to leap around in such an ungainly manner," Kuno replied.  
  
"Why not bokken boy just say no can do?" Kuno didn't deign to answer. Shampoo sighed, grabbed Kuno bodily and in five instead of three bounds, landed on her chosen spot.  
  
"Unhand me woman!" the outraged kendoist cried even as Shampoo released him.  
  
"Argue later. Search now." But there was no one to be seen. Shampoo's skills were sufficient to spot her quarry's tracks. "Man go through that door down there. Not chance of other place," she informed Kuno as she pointed out the trail's end.  
  
"The fiend Saotome and the fair pigtailed girl may lie behind that portal? We must proceed at once!" He tore open the package that concealed his bokken and tossed his heavy coat aside. He'd need his full mobility. "Forward!" he cried.  
  
"Bokken boy not jump from too too high place!"  
  
"Perhaps the fair ramen delivery girl has failed to notice yon fire escape?" Kuno said ironically before quickly descending same.  
  
Kuno was very annoying when he was wrong. When he was right, he was insufferable. He was also faster than Shampoo had thought. Before she could catch him, Kuno had descended the fire escape, crossed the alley and slashed open the door she had indicated. She managed to grab the back of Kuno's pants, but she was dragged into the building by the kendoist anyway.  
  
Shampoo didn't have time to notice a steel door slamming down to cover the open doorway behind her. Both her and Kuno's attention were focused on the seventy black clad people pointing guns at them. Not even Kuno was that stupid.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff swore silently to himself after checking the latest status report from Monster. Not only had both Kunos entered the US, the idiot-with-a-stick had brought a female companion, most likely Shampoo. He couldn't imagine Akane or Ukyo being desperate enough to travel with Kuno, Nabiki most likely wouldn't need to use a false ID and Kodachi was already accounted for.  
  
'Oh well, time to carry the bad news from A to B,' Jeff thought before leaving his desk to interrupt Ranma's meditation.  
  
-----  
  
After herding Shampoo and Kuno into the center of the room at gunpoint, an unseen male voice had given orders to those present. The black clad men and women divided themselves into three groups. The smallest, all men, had climbed up to a series of catwalks that stretched across the room. They held sub-machine guns trained on the Amazon and the kendoist.  
  
After they were in place, a larger group holstered their pistols and pulled out sinister black devices that neither Kuno or Shampoo recognized as stun-guns. The largest group been ordered to holster their weapons by an unseen male voice and "Take down our honored guests from Japan."  
  
That had been fifteen minutes ago.  
  
The black garbed enemy prepared for another rush. Shampoo panted heavily and raised her remaining bonbori to defend herself. She'd lost the other ten minutes earlier. Kuno was starting to show some signs of strain himself. She could hear his ragged breath, the only outward sign he gave of the pain he must of felt. The crack when Kuno's left arm had been broken had been unmistakable. But he fought on, downing three opponents in as many seconds as they tried to crowd him.  
  
Shampoo realized that she would have to revise her opinion of Kuno's fighting skill drastically upward. She had believed his skills were marginal at best considering that he couldn't even defeat Akane. To Ranma, he was a mere annoyance. But as he downed yet another foe, she realized that Kuno actually did hold back against women.  
  
The forty enemies that had began the battle had been whittled down to an even dozen. As she stood back to back with the kendoist, she could see that even if they finished off this group, there were more waiting. Including one rather large late arrival.  
  
Shampoo bashed a man that tried to grab her as Kuno cut down the man who had appropriated Shampoo's other bonbori.  
  
The unseen voice cried "Enough! Cadre, disengage." The remaining ten attackers ceased their activities and began dragging away the injured who had not been able to limp off the field of combat under their own power. Shampoo took the opportunity to regain her lost weapon.  
  
"Benny, they're yours," the voice said calmly. The large man that Shampoo had only glimpsed earlier came forward. He was a good two meters tall and easily outweighed Kuno and Shampoo combined.  
  
Kuno snarled defiantly, and leapt to the attack. But the chi that would normally have been used to aid Kuno's prowess was tied up in keeping him conscious. The same slash which had felled many of his earlier opponents did nothing to the new one. A second attempt was met with a backhand that broke Kuno's bokken and had enough force left to knock Kuno across the room.  
  
Before Kuno even landed, Shampoo began her attack. Her overhand right was designed as a feint to draw attention away from the thrust directed at the target's groin. The heads of both bonbori were caught before they could land. Shampoo tried to wrench her weapons free of the large man's grasp and failed. As strong as she was, Shampoo failed to move them or her opponent a millimeter. As she let go of the weapons to prep a kick to man's kneecap, the larger man crushed both bonbori as if they were empty beer cans instead of best quality Amazon weapons.  
  
The kick landed, and Shampoo was glad to see the man had at least noticed her attack. She stayed with hit and run tactics in an attempt to wear the larger man down. It wasn't until Kuno distracted her by attempting to reenter the battle that Benny landed a blow. One was all it took to stop Shampoo in her tracks. The last thing she remembered was the sound of demented female laughter.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff knocked on the door to Ranma's room.  
  
"Come in," Ranma said.  
  
Jeff opened the door and paused for a split second. Ranma was in full lotus position. That wasn't too surprising. But he was also upside down.  
  
"More balance training?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma answered as he righted himself and sprang to his feet. "What's up?"  
  
"I've got bad news and I've got worse news."  
  
Ranma sighed and asked, "Who showed up?"  
  
"Both Kunos and I think Shampoo. Tatewaki and a female companion have a suite at the Waldorf, Kodachi has a suite at the Mayflower on Central Park West."  
  
Ranma said a word in his native tongue that Jeff didn't recognize. "Kuno and Shampoo are together? Are you sure?" Ranma asked in a puzzled tone.  
  
"Sure enough. I gotta admit, I didn't see that coming."  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"It's your call. Unless they threaten Anne or Little Bill, in which case it's my call."  
  
Ranma pondered the situation. Even after all he'd been through, he was still far more reactive than proactive. He preferred to deal with problems as they came. So far this one hadn't, even if he saw it looming on the horizon. Supremely confident that he could handle any difficulties when and if they did come, he eventually told Jeff, "They will have to find me first."  
  
Jeff nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't think it would be quite that simple.  
  
-----  
  
The office of a man whose criminal enterprises granted him a net income in the low eight figures each year should be impressive. Colin Hawksmoor's was. Artwork by Monet and Picasso, leather bound books on polished cherry bookshelves, a liquor cabinet holding only the choicest beverages, the room was furnished as if straight from Versailles.  
  
It was almost as impressive as the man himself. Tall, but not too tall, muscular without being bulky, his full red beard added ten years to his apparent age and his steel blue eyes missed absolutely nothing.  
  
Not that Kodachi cared one bit. To her, he was just hired help, albeit rather effective hired help. Not only had his organization provided suitable weapons for her upcoming hunt, for an additional fee they had also removed her brother and the Chinese peasant from the picture.  
  
After dismissing the servants who had brought tea for himself and his guest, Hawksmoor said, "Well Miss Kuno, your brother and his associate were everything you claimed. I must admit, I am impressed."  
  
Kodachi set down her excellent cup of tea before she answered, "My beloved Ranma could defeat both of them without drawing a deep breath."  
  
"So you've said," Hawksmoor replied to his guest. Although to himself, he added 'Repeatedly.' "But I've taken their measure. Without the sword, your brother is no threat. The girl is far more interesting."  
  
"I don't really care what you do with that base born slut, but my brother is... my brother. After I have taken my revenge, he is to be released unharmed."  
  
"My medical people are tending to him now."  
  
After a few more minutes of conversation, Kodachi left to pursue her own interests. Hawksmoor then summoned Benny and watched the surveillance footage of the battle until his 'enforcer' arrived.  
  
Benny, hair still damp from a quick shower, entered the lavish office. "You wanted to see me Boss?"  
  
Hawksmoor answered with a question of his own. "What did you think of our 'guests'?"  
  
"Can't really judge the guy, his arm was broke by the time I got there. Did pretty good considering. The girl... I've _never_ seen a woman fight like that. Strong enough to be a low level meta too."  
  
"Interesting. Did you notice anything else?"  
  
Benny allowed the merest trace of annoyance to creep into his voice. "No. Wasn't really looking." Hawksmoor might have significantly increased his pay after taking over from 'Cap'n Al' but Benny still preferred his former employer.  
  
"We'll discuss your powers of observation another time," Hawksmoor began. "But the most interesting thing I saw was those two took down thirty cadre without hurting them one bit more than they had to. If this Ranma fellow is as good as Miss Kuno says, and if he fights the same way, I want a shot at him myself."  
  
END CHAPTER 12 


	13. The Storm Before the Other Storm

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 13: The Storm Before the Other Storm.  
  
What has happened before: Ranma went to New York City with retired super hero Jeff Anderson to get his life together. The Kuno siblings and Shampoo have followed for their own reasons. Ranma doesn't want to deal with them, but that choice may not remain his for long.  
  
-----  
  
The phone rang in the pattern reserved for MATRIX business. Jeff set down his gouge and turned off the lathe before crossing the workroom to answer. Lifting the receiver, he heard a high pitched squawk as the automatic encryption hardware kicked in.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Mister Anderson, this is Sunray. Could you come down here before Big Tex and Wild Dragon wreck the gym?  
  
-----  
  
Jeff surveyed the damage. The basketball backboard was mangled beyond repair. The even and uneven parallel bars were no longer parallel or bars. Kindling and scrap metal was more like it. The heavy duty walls along three sides of the gym bore faint impressions, but the thinner wall between the gym and the locker rooms had three large dents. Judging by size, depth and location, Big Tex had got lucky at least once.  
  
"Did it ever occur, to either of you, that this is a gymnasium, not a battle dome," Jeff said coldly. The quiet anger evident in his voice was far more effective than shouting would have been. Both Ranma and Big Tex stood in hang dog fashion in the middle of the gym. Sunray, in 'civilian' form, wearing a white gi with white belt, stood near Jeff to see how he maintained control over two people who could easily kick his ass. It would be a fascinating lesson in interpersonal dynamics.  
  
"Eewahifaww," Big Tex squeaked.  
  
"I don't care whose fault it was," Jeff shot back pointedly.  
  
"Eaeooaee."  
  
Jeff stared at Big Tex until Ranma asked, "What did he say?"  
  
"You got me," Jeff replied. There followed a brief scribble, the sound of paper being torn from a spiral notebook and a small sheet that almost illegibly proclaimed 'HE SAID HE COULD TAKE IT.' Sunray peered around Jeff's shoulder so she could read the note. She tried hard not to giggle and almost succeeded. Jeff tossed a narrowed glance at her before asking Big Tex, "And exactly how does that change anything?"  
  
Big Tex merely shook his round yellow head 'no' as a response.  
  
"I didn't think so." Turning to Ranma, he continued, "As for you, I don't care about what you got away with back home. It won't wash here. Technically speaking, I own this building. It's mine. Break it and you'll have me to answer to."  
  
"I will pay fo-" Ranma began.  
  
Jeff interrupted with, "Don't. I appreciate the offer, but I know damn well neither one of you has that much money." Jeff was pleased that Ranma had made the offer. It was a big plus that Ranma showed signs of taking responsibility for his actions. But at that moment, being a hard nosed bastard was called for.  
  
"First thing, the two of you are going take all this crap and put it through the recycler," Jeff said with a wave at the broken gymnastics gear. At least the metal would be reclaimed for future use. "I'll tell you what else I want done later." He turned and asked "Sunray, would you please come with me to the conference room?"  
  
After Jeff and Sunray left the room, Big Tex picked up the mangled basketball rim. Making sure that Wild Dragon was watching, he bit off a chunk, chewed and swallowed. Under his mask, Ranma smiled and thought 'Wonder if he could do that with Akane's cooking?'  
  
-----  
  
Jeff turned the conference room's security field on and asked Sunray, "All right, what happened?"  
  
"I was taking a martial arts lesson from Wild Dragon when Big Tex entered the gym and headed towards the weight room. Dragon said he was pleased with my progress, so I asked if we could spar."  
  
Jeff knew that sparring wasn't normal for a newly minted white belt, but that Ranma wasn't a typical sensei either. He also knew how Ranma normally sparred with Akane.  
  
Sunray continued, "I tried my best to hit him, but he dodged everything. I shifted to hero form and he still dodged me. When I realized that he wasn't attacking me, I stopped and told him that he wasn't sparring. I thought he was going to say something, but he didn't. Then Big Tex came up and offered to take my place. Apparently, he'd seen the whole thing.  
  
"Wild Dragon agreed. Seemed glad even. For a while he did the same thing to Big Tex that he did to me. I think it made Tex mad because he picked up the backboard and knocked Dragon clear across the gym with it. Dragon shook it off and said something I didn't understand before he jumped across the room and kicked Tex in the head. That's when I called you. Eventually, my brain kicked in and I sunbeamed both of them."  
  
Jeff sighed and rubbed his forehead. He knew that Sunray was telling the truth, that she found it very difficult to lie or even shade the facts. He knew Ranma had a way of getting under people's skins. He also knew Big Tex had a fairly low frustration tolerance. 'Limelight should be handling this, not me,' he thought.  
  
However, being Wild Dragon's sponsor, when added to the fact that he worked less than three kilometers from MATRIX HQ, meant that Sunray had made the right call. Various thoughts flashed through his mind at high speed before Jeff finally said, "Next time you see him, have FreeFall check the gym for structural damage. We'll see what's fixable and what needs replaced. Good thing we're under budget for repairs this year. In the meantime, seal off the gym after Big Tex and Wild Dragon get the debris cleaned up."  
  
"Yes Mister Anderson," Sunray replied.  
  
"And when Limelight bitches about this, and believe me, he will, tell him that if he wants to complain, he can buy the building and play landlord himself."  
  
-----  
  
As he was cleaning up the mess, Sunray asked Ranma to stop by her bedroom after he was finished. It wasn't very long before he stood at Sunray's door. His knock was greeted with an opened door and a cheery "C'mon in!"  
  
Feeling rather nervous, Ranma entered Sunray's room. He'd been in Akane's bedroom often enough, even if not for the reasons that most people thought. Nabiki's bedroom was a place he avoided because it always cost him money when he went there. He'd never been in Kasumi's bedroom, in fact he couldn't recall even seeing the inside of Kasumi's room.  
  
Sunray flopped onto the queen sized four poster bed and said, "Grab a chair Dragon."  
  
Finding only one to grab, he pulled the roller chair away from Sunray's desk, spun it around and sat down in it. The springs squeaked as Ranma shifted position, trying to get comfortable. He fiddled with the seat height adjustment to cover a surreptitious examination of the room.  
  
Most of the walls were covered with posters of celestial scenes. Pictures of stars, planets, moons, nebulas and other astronomical phenomenon competed with charts of the solar system, protostar formation, black holes, the electromagnetic spectrum and a large periodic table. There were three bookshelves, mostly full, and judging from the titles, mostly about science, particularly astronomy.  
  
"Wow, you must be smart to know all this stuff," Ranma said.  
  
"I wish," Sunray replied as she rolled onto her side. "Most of it is way over my head, but at least the pictures are nice to look at."  
  
"Then why..." Ranma trailed off with a wave at the room and its contents.  
  
"Because it's where I came from, and someday, it's where I'll go. Especially here," Sunray finished by pointing at a picture of Beta Lyrae.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Dragon, you do know that I'm not human right?"  
  
"What? You are mutant?" According to Jeff, some people got pretty touchy about what category they were put into.  
  
Sunray laughed before answering, "Actually, we, meaning MATRIX, haven't figured out what I am. Limelight thinks my host body was a mutant, but that I'm an alien. Flex thinks I'm a mutant evolving into an energy based life form. Mister Anderson refuses to speculate and Sparx thinks I'm nuts. According to her, I'm a mutant that created the Sunray persona because Emily Augusta Roberts couldn't deal with the death of her parents."  
  
"What do you think you are?" Ranma asked.  
  
"I think I'm me, but that doesn't mean much to some people."  
  
"Awful grown up thought coming from kid."  
  
Sunray cocked her head toward Ranma and shifted into her heroic form. "Would it help if I looked like this instead?"  
  
Ranma opened his mouth in denial before saying, "Yeah, it does. It should not make difference, but it does."  
  
"That's almost exactly what Limelight told me when we first met. Someone who looks like a 12 year old girl just isn't taken seriously by most people."  
  
"How old are you?" Ranma asked, unaware that you never ask a woman that particular question.  
  
"Almost five months." Sunray smiled as Ranma flinched. She added, "But you have to remember, I started out with my host's memories, plus some things my mother gave me. It's like I was born old. I didn't have to learn how to walk, run, talk, read or any of that stuff."  
  
"Sounds... different."  
  
"Not so different than changing bodies when hit with water."  
  
Ranma snorted back a laugh before he answered, "Well at least you get to choose when you change." Inspired, he asked, "Since you can change when you want, why don't you just stay big?"  
  
"Dragon, this body is just a construct, an extrapolation of what my host might have looked like at 16. The only reason I use it is because I can channel a lot more energy this way," Sunray said before reverting to normal. "Besides, there are things this body is better at."  
  
"Really?" Ranma's observations indicated otherwise. Sunray's heroic form was noticeably faster and about four times stronger. It had a much higher combat potential in his judgment. Maybe he could find out why Sunray insisted on taking martial arts lessons in civilian form.  
  
"Well, it just 'feels' right. Food tastes better and it's a lot easier to sleep like this." There were other reasons too, but they weren't ones she was willing to share just yet.  
  
Ranma silently chastised himself for thinking only about the martial arts possibilities. He was about to explain when the intercom chimed for attention.  
  
After Sunray opened the channel, Limelight's voice stated, "There will be a full team combat practice session Saturday at the junkyard starting at noon. All MATRIX members are expected to attend. Limelight out."  
  
"Dang," Sunray said heatedly.  
  
Ranma didn't need to see her frown to know that she wasn't happy. "What is wrong?"  
  
"I had plans for this weekend. I may not have much of a life outside of MATRIX, but what little I do have is important to me."  
  
As the conversation continued, Ranma briefly considered his own life outside of martial arts. Briefly because there wasn't that much to consider. He suddenly realized that prior to coming to America, it wouldn't even have been brief.  
  
-----  
  
Shampoo looked around her cell once more. Had the walls been stone, she would have simply focused her chi and walked straight through them. Her personal variant of the Bakusai Tenketsu didn't require anything as obvious as poking boulders with a finger.  
  
But it didn't work on metal bars. Especially bars that could have significant amounts of electricity run through them by her jailers. Although had escape been her goal, they wouldn't have stopped her. A quick splash of water from the sink, and her cat form would have room to spare. Her captors obviously didn't know about her Jusenkyo curse and she wasn't about to give up that advantage.  
  
There were things that prevented Shampoo from leaving. Kuno was one. Even though he had merely been the means to an end, Shampoo couldn't abandon him. He'd fought well. She respected that. Kuno was an ally, of sorts. She might not be bound by Amazon laws on this trip, but that didn't mean she wasn't bound by her own conscience. Whenever she chose to escape, Shampoo would take Kuno with her unless there was a pressing reason not to. Hopefully, his injuries wouldn't be such a reason.  
  
There was also the man called Benny. When Ranma had earned the Kiss of Marriage, it had been a fluke that Shampoo was more than happy to accept for her own reasons. The kick with which Ranma broke her bonbori had been made to defend Tendo Akane. The fact the mace's head had landed on her own, momentarily knocking her out, was a coincidence. Shampoo knew this even if she preferred not to admit it.  
  
Benny's victory was no fluke. Had it been in a one on one fight instead of as part of a general melee, it would have been troubling. That was if she wasn't temporarily exempt from Amazon laws at Cologne's order. Had her great-grandmother foreseen something like this occurring? Shampoo thought it likely.  
  
She knew there was nothing preventing Benny from issuing a formal marriage challenge. He simply didn't know that he could. Despite justifiable pride in her own skills, Benny's raw strength was enough that losing to him was possible. Unlike Ranma's American friend, or even Ranma himself she reluctantly admitted, Benny showed some signs of interest in her as a woman. Distinctly different from Mousse's blind worship, Benny's attention felt more like... respect. He alone brought her meals and he had even begun trying out a few phrases in very badly accented Mandarin on her. If Benny knew of the Amazon laws, would he try to use them?  
  
Shampoo didn't know all of the precedents involved when an Amazon was defeated by two different males. After all, that particular problem hadn't cropped up since the nineteenth century. The fact that she was the village champion and it was happening to her was very... annoying. Amazons were supposed to be the strongest warriors in the world, but the world was turning out far stronger than Shampoo had been taught.  
  
As for Benny and Ranma, a duel between the contenders was called for, but wasn't mandatory. Shampoo considered Ranma's ego for a moment and realized that she could easily goad him into such a fight. She figured despite Benny's superior strength, it was a battle Ranma should win.  
  
Shampoo shook her head to clear it of all hypothetical thoughts. There was no time to ponder what might have been when her reality was so different.  
  
-----  
  
Anne had left Jeff and Ranma a breakfast of waffles and Huevos Rancheros before leaving for her Saturday morning jog. After finishing off his grape juice, Ranma asked, "So why are you coming?"  
  
"I'm Director Emeritus, I can do whatever I want," Jeff replied with mock arrogance. "More seriously though, I have to keep up with everyone on the roster and what they can do. Just in case."  
  
"In case of what?"  
  
"Oh for example, say Limelight quits, goes missing or is killed. Who runs the team then?"  
  
"FreeFall," Ranma answered immediately.  
  
"Ah... but there's the problem. FreeFall doesn't want the job after what happened the last time he was in charge. He's told me he makes a great lieutenant but a lousy general and I have to agree. So who comes next?"  
  
Ranma's thoughts flashed through the rest of the roster. Big Tex couldn't communicate well enough to lead effectively. Sparx just wasn't leader material. Sunray was way too young. Finally, he didn't have enough teamwork experience or the desire to be in charge. That left... "Robert the C-c-cat?"  
  
Jeff laughed and admitted, "Actually, I hadn't thought about him." After shaking his head slowly, he continued, "But really, it would wind up being me or Flex, whichever one of us could clear his schedule the fastest. That'd probably mean me, even though I'd much rather stay retired."  
  
"What about other former members? I've read some of their files."  
  
"There are a lot of things that don't get put in those files Ranma. Trust me when I say I'm next up, whether I want to be or not. It's bad enough there are things I have to do as MATRIX's landlord that I don't like."  
  
Ranma was beginning to understand why Anne didn't like being her husband's rhetorical sounding board. But since Jeff was obviously begging the question, Ranma obliged him and asked, "Such as?"  
  
"Chewing out people who break stuff is one of them. It doesn't mean I like you any less or that you're not my friend. I was proud as hell when you offered to pay for the damages."  
  
"You were?"  
  
"Yep," Jeff replied as he donned his bullet proof trench coat.  
  
Ranma basked in the glow of approval all the way to Long Island.  
  
-----  
  
Flattened cars were piled in stacks up to ten meters tall. Narrow, twisty passages barely separated one wall of cars from the next. Irregularly spaced clearings were scattered throughout. Two cranes with powerful electromagnets carried the scrap metal into a crusher to reduce its volume even more. An open topped railroad car sat alone on a spur of track at the end of a conveyor belt waiting to be filled with compressed scrap.  
  
It was a dirty and dangerous place. Which made it a nice combat practice ground for a superhero team on a budget. The owner was meta friendly, so long as they didn't damage the cranes or the crusher, MATRIX was allowed to mess up the place as much as they liked on the weekends. For a nominal fee of course.  
  
The first part of the session was spent playing a super powered version of 'Tag'. Ranma's superior agility allowed him to tag the rest of MATRIX in under two minutes. Only Sparx managed to lay a hand on him in return, although Sunray and Limelight both managed 'power tags'. The funniest thing was Big Tex 'tagging' Limelight with a Thunderbird's hubcap from 20 meters away. That he could have used the entire car instead was not in question.  
  
Next, Jeff refereed a game of 'Capture the Flag' that Ranma, Sunray and FreeFall won. After placing their red 'flag' so that it wasn't visible to an aerial search, they quickly infiltrated 'enemy' territory. Despite Sparx's liberal use of smoke to obscure things, FreeFall spotted the green towel through his rifle's scope. He and Ranma then created a diversion to draw attention while Sunray snuck up, snatched the towel and flat outran Big Tex back to safety and victory.  
  
After a soda and munchies break, Jeff brought out his wife's Splat Gun for a game of 'Lone Assassin'. He used black, red and green wax popper loads to represent explosive, incendiary and acid attacks. He used real smoke, flare and tear gas loads to keep everyone on their toes.  
  
The scenario rules called for comm silence and the team members to enter the junkyard one at a time at least three minutes apart. Jeff could not use his TK directly on anyone or fly. After drawing straws, the order, unknown to Jeff, was Sunray, Sparx, Big Tex, FreeFall, Wild Dragon and Limelight.  
  
Right after Sunray went in, he heard a pop that indicated Jeff had used one of his wax rounds. A minute later, one of the cranes fired up. Ranma saw it swing around and heard the magnet drop down. After Sparx flew in, Ranma could see grey and yellow smoke drift above the junkyard before being forced away by Sparx's power. The regulation rounds didn't make much noise at all. A flare, bright in the cold December overcast, came next. There were a few pops before it quieted again. Sparx didn't return, so Ranma figured Jeff got her.  
  
Big Tex went in next. It was quiet until FreeFall's turn came. Ranma heard shots from FreeFall's rifle a minute after he went in. With thirty seconds remaining before he could enter, there was a creaking sound and a horrible crash followed by the shriek of metal being torn apart by brute force and several more pops.  
  
When Ranma finally entered the exercise area, the first thing he saw was Sunray laying on the ground barely three meters from the entrance. The yellow starburst on her uniform was defaced by a blob of red wax slightly off center. She drummed her fingers impatiently.  
  
"Are you all right?" Ranma asked softly.  
  
"Yeah, but I'm charred corpse right now, so don't talk to me," Sunray replied in a similar voice.  
  
Ranma nodded, looked around cautiously and slowed moved further into the junkyard. It was then he spotted where the flare had gone off. There were small black wax blobs scattered around. Seeing only one place that would provide decent cover, Ranma lightly leaped to the top of the nearest wall of cars to make his way there without walking through the obvious kill zone.  
  
From his perch, he could see that someone had toppled half a dozen car stacks. Big Tex was pinned under one car with large chunks of car in each hand. His head was covered with green wax splotches and therefore was officially 'dead'. Ranma glanced around without seeing anyone else and continued toward the place where he figured Jeff had tried to ambush Sparx.  
  
As he came closer, Ranma noticed two shuriken on the ground. After checking out where he would have set up an ambush, he bent to examine them. There were tiny lightning bolts engraved on both. Which meant they belonged to Sparx and not Jeff. There were also unmistakable traces of blood.  
  
The blood was rather disquieting. The object of the exercises weren't to injure each other, but to show that injury could have occurred. The difference between 'practice' and 'field' use of powers still surprised Ranma. He was used to his rivals, his fiancees and even his father going all out, all the time. It wasn't like that with MATRIX. There wasn't the level of obsession that permeated Nerima. No drive to be biggest, fastest, strongest or best, just the need to be effective. It seemed to work.  
  
But those few drops of blood reminded Ranma that things could get serious rather quickly.  
  
Ranma heard several pops from the other side of the junkyard. He made his way toward the disturbance as fast as he could without making any noticeable noise. The three minutes before Limelight could make his entrance were more than up as Ranma spotted what had drawn him there. Although hog tied and gagged with a black rope, Sparx lived up to her name. Snaps and crackles of blue electricity were leaping off her body, mostly from her hands. FreeFall laid on his stomach nearby, propped up on one elbow, the back of his costume covered in red and green wax splotches. His rifle pointed toward a gap between two walls of cars.  
  
Ranma could guess what happened. Although FreeFall's power protected against impact, fire and acid didn't cause damage that way. Jeff must have ambushed him when he went to 'rescue' Sparx. Ranma didn't plan on falling for the same trick. All senses on alert, he entered the small clearing and tried to figure out where Jeff would attack from. The gap indicated by FreeFall's rifle was a likely choice, but so far Jeff had been playing 'stick and move'.  
  
A sudden sound drew Ranma's attention, but it was only Limelight arriving on the scene. The momentary distraction proved costly as a black wax popper came from a small crack between two adjacent stacks of crushed cars. Ranma leapt away as the popper arrived. Limelight's response to the attack was to fire a force bolt in the direction the popper came from.  
  
Part of a car wall toppled over and Ranma hoped Jeff hadn't been hurt. Limelight used hand signals to tell Ranma to search the area for Jeff while he went to free Sparx, just in case they hadn't got him. As Ranma walked over to the fallen stack of cars, he noticed Limelight having trouble with the rope Sparx was tied with.  
  
There came the sound of metal on metal. Limelight stood in time for the remains of a red 1984 Chevette to catch him in the chest and knock him across the clearing into a wall of cars that promptly collapsed. All without touching a single green hair on Sparx's head.  
  
Ranma asked himself, 'Did Jeff boost for a practice session?' He was moving toward Limelight in order to help free him when handfuls of mixed poppers arced down to 'kill' Limelight and Sparx both. It was proof that Splat Gun ammo could be thrown by hand and be just as effective. Although Jeff couldn't have much left in the way of ammo after that attack.  
  
Further contemplation was interrupted by the need to dodge another black popper. This time he actually saw Jeff retreating from where he'd fired from. "Time to end this," Ranma muttered under his breath.  
  
The chase was surprisingly short. Jeff hesitated at a place where the path split before heading left. That passage dead ended after two turns. Unless he flew out against the rules, he was trapped.  
  
Backed against the fence marking the edge of the property, Jeff turned and emptied the Splat Gun at his pursuer. Ranma dodged the rounds with little effort. Jeff dropped the gun knowing that Ranma could attack him if he tried to reload. Ranma was aware of that and closed in for a little friendly sparring match. It wouldn't take long.  
  
That's when he was hit square in the back with a black popper.  
  
Ranma whirled around to see Anne, dressed in a purple and red costume with pink tinted goggles, holding a Splat Gun identical to the one at Jeff's feet. As he stood staring, Flex rounded the corner wearing his distinctive black armor and moving more quietly than anyone his size had a right to. Although they had met before, it was the first time Ranma had seen him in costume.  
  
"You cheated!" Ranma cried in a mixture of anger and surprise.  
  
"Deliberately and with malice aforethought," Jeff admitted. "You of all people should know that life isn't fair."  
  
"But how?" Ranma asked, with a vague wave at Flex and... Sidearm since she was in costume.  
  
"We snuck in while you guys were stuffing your faces," Flex answered from behind his domed helmet.  
  
Anne smiled and added, "After all, this _was_ a full team combat session."  
  
Jeff and Flex laughed at the joke, but Ranma didn't feel the need.  
  
-----  
  
While the others made post-exercise small talk, Ranma tried to figure out what point, if any, Jeff had behind cooking the 'Lone Assassin' scenario. Keep up with the team? Sure. Get Anne back in costume? Maybe. It would make a... precedent, that was the word, for getting back into costume himself. Hang out with friends? No doubt. Teach a lesson? No, with Jeff it would be 'teach several lessons'. 'Beware of assumptions' was obvious. Ranma busily pondered other options even after the training session ended. The fact that pondering non martial arts things at all was still new to him escaped his notice entirely.  
  
END CHAPTER 13 


	14. Crisis Management

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 14: Crisis Management  
  
What has happened before: Ranma went to New York City with Jeff Anderson to get his life together. The Kuno siblings and Shampoo eventually followed. While Ranma has been trying to ignore the problems they represent, Kodachi has already removed her brother and Shampoo from the field. Ready or not, choices will be made.  
  
-----  
  
Kodachi had thought long and hard about what sort of revenge to take on the man who had ruined, if only temporarily, her beauty. A direct assault was out. Unlike Ranma, this Jeffery Anderson had no qualms about fighting women. The man's martial skills, while nowhere near her beloved's, were considerable. Despite her own mastery of Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, Anderson had forcibly removed her from the Tendo compound twice. He'd fought that arrogant serving wench, Shampoo, to a draw. Less importantly, he had also defeated her brother in a purportedly fair duel.  
  
Hiring her revenge out wasn't an option. Kodachi knew she could pay Hawksmoor's gang of criminals to beat or even kill Anderson. But that wasn't... personal enough. Choosing the right revenge had given Kodachi pause until she discovered that Anderson had a wife and son. Then her choice of target became all too easy. The child was out of the question, but disfiguring the man's wife would be exquisitely appropriate.  
  
Finding her target would be no problem. While her brother and Shampoo settled for staking out Ranma's post office box, Kodachi's advanced planning included hiring a private investigator. She had known Ranma's location before arriving in New York. Only the delays to obtain proper equipment and prevent familial interference had stayed her hand until this point.  
  
That Ranma might not be happy with her for attacking his hosts never crossed Kodachi's mind. This was revenge. It was more important than love. Kodachi prepared for battle.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma sat at his desk, pencil in hand, making a quick graph. He hated taking tests at Furinkan. He still wasn't fond of them, but at least Jeff's tests made him think and not just regurgitate data. Suddenly, he wrote down the minimum y value of y = x^2 - 5x + 4. Turning the page he discovered his next task was to add all even integers from 2 to 200 inclusive. There was a trick to it, Ranma was certain. After a moment's thought, he found it.  
  
Ten minutes later, Ranma said, "Done," and handed the math test to Jeff.  
  
Jeff mumbled quietly as he graded, his red pen occasionally flashing, "... negative two point two five, ten thousand one hundred..." Suddenly, Jeff flipped back to the first page and boldly wrote a number Ranma wasn't used to seeing on his tests.  
  
"Ninety two?" Ranma asked as the phone rang in the background.  
  
"You messed up two of the base conversion problems, the time and distance problem was a trick question and you forgot to carry the six on the last one," Jeff explained.  
  
"Ninety two?"  
  
Before Jeff could clarify further, Anne stuck her head into Ranma's room. "Hate to interrupt, but the hospital wants its CPR dummy back."  
  
Jeff turned to look at Ranma, who shrugged. He'd already passed the First Aid tests. "I think the Natural and Unnatural Science test can wait."  
  
Ranma, who really wanted a chance to stretch his legs, agreed. Minutes later, the two men exited the building. As they headed for 8th Avenue Subway entrance, they were watched by multiple sets of eyes and not only because of what Jeff carried.  
  
-----  
  
"Sir, I think you should take a look at this," the medical technician said to Benny. She handed over a clipboard containing charts, treatment notes and other undecipherable medical documentation.  
  
"What?" Since he had shown an interest in Shampoo, his employer had placed both prisoners in his charge. Benny didn't like being in charge of anything. He was a bodyguard and enforcer, not an administrator. But as long as he took Hawksmoor's money, he'd follow Hawksmoor's orders.  
  
"We did a routine tox screen on that Japanese guy and we got some weird results, so then we did a full workup and..." the tech trailed off.  
  
"And what?" Benny asked sharply.  
  
The tech pointed at a graph. "I've never seen results like these. Even without the electro-stim, his arm would be fully healed in another week." Flipping over two pages, she pointed at another chart. "Plus, I don't think we can keep him under sedation much longer."  
  
"So up the dosage."  
  
"He's past the lethal dose now. The guy is shrugging it off as fast as we can pump it in."  
  
"You think he's a meta?" Benny asked. Because of his background, it was the first answer he came up with.  
  
"Sir, it's either that or someone's been routinely drugging him for years."  
  
Benny thought about the situation briefly. "Let him wake up. I may need to interrogate him." He handed back the clipboard and strode toward Shampoo's holding cell. As he went, he pulled his cell phone from his belt and dialed.  
  
Moments later, a bored sounding male voice answered, "Ops."  
  
"Who have we got watching Miss Kuno?" Benny asked.  
  
There was a brief pause before Ops answered, "Cadre Squad Six under Agent Echo."  
  
"Patch me through."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
-----  
  
Kodachi's plan nearly unraveled before it was properly underway. Upon seeing Ranma leave the apartment building, Kodachi's first instinct was to run to him and profess her undying love. The paralysis powder concealed in her bouquet of black roses would ensure Ranma stood still long enough to listen.  
  
Fantasies of Ranma returning her feelings were displaced by anger when she noticed the man who'd dared strike her walking alongside Ranma. Her desire for vengeance reasserted itself. To ensure success, she forced herself to wait until Ranma and his cursed American friend entered the subway. Only then did she approach the apartment building where Ranma had been living.  
  
Kodachi's somewhat truthful claim of a flower delivery sufficed to get her into the building. Within seconds of entering the elevator, she'd cast off her disguise and stood ready for battle. Her trademark black roses were held in her left hand while she lazily twirled a ribbon with her right. Other weapons, mostly made from memory plastics to save space, were hidden in the numerous concealed pockets of her gymnastics leotard.  
  
Kodachi had never lived in an apartment building. She was therefore quite surprised when the elevator stopped on the fifth floor to admit an elderly woman wearing a jogging outfit and tennis shoes. Her ribbon stopped its idle spiral to droop on the elevator floor.  
  
"That's a lovely costume dearie," the old woman commented in knowing tones. "But you'll catch your death of cold dressed like that this time of year."  
  
Kodachi said not a word as the woman punched the button for the ninth floor. She remained silent as the elevator rose. It wasn't until the woman left the elevator with a cheery 'have fun' that Kodachi nodded and quietly answered, "I shall." She managed to not laugh maniacally.  
  
As she knocked on the door, Kodachi realized that the narrow hallway was unsuitable for most of her ribbon techniques. She quickly switched to a club with retractable spikes. It would function better in close quarters. After she forced her way into the apartment, she could return to her weapon of choice.  
  
"Be there in a minute," came a woman's voice.  
  
'Undoubtedly my target,' Kodachi thought. Hopefully the woman would put up a decent struggle. Her revenge would be much sweeter that way.  
  
Fortunately, after the Robert the Cat incident, Anne demanded and received a briefing on Ranma's threat list. The apartment door's peephole camera clearly showed a dark-haired young woman dressed in a gymnast's outfit with a bouquet of black roses in one hand and a small club in the other. This was obviously Kodachi Kuno, grade A loon.  
  
If Lil' Bill had been in the apartment, instead of safely at his grandfather's (because of Ranma's testing), Anne would have called the police. But without her son at risk, she felt she could take the martial arts gymnast in a unfair fight. Anne grabbed a mini-flare and donned a pair of dark sunglasses. Her husband would never forgive her if she used real weapons in the house.  
  
Anne knew Kodachi relied exclusively on weaponry and never fought hand to hand. The body to body fight she planned after using the flare to level the playing field would force Kodachi out of her rhythm.  
  
Both combatants severely underestimated the other.  
  
-----  
  
Agent Echo blew into his hands to warm them. Surveillance was always a chore, even more so in cold weather. But that chore had ended with the orders he'd received. Miss Kuno was to be captured immediately, along with any 'guilty' bystanders.  
  
Access to the target building was no problem. He picked the lock on the front door faster than most people used keys. Bolt cutters took care of the chains illegally blocking the fire exit, allowing Cadres One through Seven to enter from the alley. Cadre Eight was bringing a unmarked panel van for transport. Hopefully, the Manhattan traffic wouldn't hold her up too long. Cadre Nine was lookout.  
  
The elevator wasn't large enough, so Agent Echo led his men up the stairs. When he stepped out on the eleventh floor a minute later, the slowest of his squad was only two floors behind. There were clear-cut benefits to the aerobic conditioning required of Hawksmoor's henchmen.  
  
The scene that greeted him wasn't what he was expecting. A bouquet of black roses lay in the hall. The door to apartment 1104 hung open with a spiked club stuck in the door frame. The sounds of combat from within were clear to his ears. Agent Echo cautiously walked to the open doorway and stopped.  
  
As the rest of his team took up positions, Cadre One walked up to his supervisor to ask, "Sir, shouldn't we go in?"  
  
"Heck no, I love a good cat fight," Agent Echo replied as Anne threw the couch, cushions and all, at a wildly dodging Kodachi.  
  
-----  
  
Jeff and a female Ranma chatted about Ranma's upcoming science test as they left the elevator. The number of accidental gender changes had gone up since Shampoo and the Kunos arrival in America. Jeff didn't believe it was a coincidence. Then again, neither did Ranma.  
  
Even before the elevator door closed, both knew something was drastically wrong. Black roses, many of them crushed, lay scattered along the narrow hallway. Traces of white powder could be seen next to a scrap of colorful paper, the kind florists use to wrap bouquets. More evidence was available, but neither Jeff nor Ranma needed it. Kodachi had come to call.  
  
Jeff unlocked the apartment door, throwing up a repeller field as he crossed the threshold. Ranma followed cautiously, taking silent cues from her friend and mentor. The apartment was a mess. Most of the couch stood on end in the corner of the living room. The floor was covered with toys from Lil' Bill's overturned playpen liberally mixed with slashed open cushions and pieces of broken furniture.  
  
Ranma closed the apartment door, revealing a letter taped to the other side.  
  
Dear Misters Saotome and Anderson.  
  
If you wish to ever see Miss Kuno or Mrs. Anderson again, don't even think of calling the police. They, along with Mr. Kuno and Miss Shampoo, are perfectly safe. If you wish them to remain this way, be at the payphone on the southwest corner of East 7th and Avenue A at 6:00 PM sharp. You will receive further instructions there.  
  
PS. We didn't make this mess. Honest.  
  
"What do we do?" Ranma asked quietly.  
  
"We've got three and a half hours. We get to work."  
  
Ranma swept for bugs while Jeff checked his phones and computers for tampering. Ranma found nothing, but Jeff discovered something he sounded happy about. "Good news, the phone's being tapped," Jeff informed Ranma.  
  
"Why is that good?"  
  
"If the bad guys are tapping my phone, they probably aren't engaging in other forms of surveillance. Which means you can change back to normal now."  
  
Ranma was male and drying off his hands seconds later. "About time," he grumbled.  
  
"Well, I didn't want you doing it if anyone was watching."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I know it did not take you fifteen minutes just to find that. What else?  
  
Jeff played the peephole camera's security recording. The picture was clear enough, but there was no sound. It showed Kodachi's approach from the elevator, the door swinging open thirty seconds later and then the screen blanked for a split second. "Mini-flare" Jeff explained. Anne did well at first, taking out Kodachi's flower bomb while ducking a spiked club. The fight moved into the apartment drifting in and out of camera range. After a minute or so, Anne stumbled across the field of view, knocking over Lil' Bill's playpen. She was bleeding from a bump on her noggin.  
  
Kodachi stalked into frame, using her spiraling ribbon as a whip to open small cuts on Anne's arms. Anne lowered her head and charged, knocking both of them off camera. Soon after, a man in paramilitary clothing appeared in the doorway.  
  
After a few seconds, Anne was knocked over the couch by an unseen attack. Straining, she picked up the entire couch and threw it off camera. Kodachi bounded into frame, only to have Anne whack her square in the nose. "Nice punch," Jeff said quietly. It was at this point the combatants noticed their audience. It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Anne or Kodachi. But their surprise cost them as they were cut down by taser fire.  
  
The rest of the tape showed half a dozen identically clad men binding and carrying the unconscious women out of the apartment and down the stairwell. The man who arrived first wrote the letter Ranma had found and was last to leave.  
  
"Did you recognize anyone besides Kodachi?" Jeff asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"We may have a problem then," Jeff said as he began typing on his keyboard. "The only people I know who routinely use tasers are a gang of criminals for hire called the Irish Wolfhounds. According to police reports, they were the triggermen for the Javits Center robbery. Nobody knows who they were working for yet. They're currently led by this man." A picture of a sharply dressed red bearded man appeared on the screen.  
  
"Colin Hawksmoor," Jeff continued. "Criminal and financial genius. Fluent in six languages, reads lips in all six. World class muscle reader and probably the best raw fighter I've ever seen."  
  
"Until you met me you mean," Ranma added confidently.  
  
"Not really," Jeff flatly stated.  
  
"Huh!?"  
  
"You don't qualify as 'raw'. Which I'll explain later. But I've fought Hawksmoor before as Tach. If I fight him again, he'll know it's me at which point my secret identity is blown."  
  
"So when we find them, then Tach and Wild Dragon go to rescue."  
  
"No," Jeff said. "No costumes. We can't have any connection between you and Wild Dragon. Bad enough that a male and a female Wild Dragon have been seen publicly. Shampoo could put two and two together, even if the Kunos don't. The bad guys want Ranma Saotome and Jeff Anderson. That's who'll they get."  
  
"Oh, that does make sense. They connect me to Wild Dragon and that leads them to you and MATRIX."  
  
"Uh huh. But don't worry, we won't be going alone."  
  
"Wouldn't having anyone from MATRIX be giveaway?"  
  
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. This is why we pay taxes." Although Jeff refused to elaborate on that comment, he did explain the difference between overt and covert operations. By the time he finished, Ranma was smiling. At no time did Jeff's fingers pause in their rapid typing.  
  
-----  
  
As he watched Jeff work, Ranma made up his mind. Running halfway around the planet had only bought him a few months peace. There was no point in continuing to inflict his problems on others, even if Jeff and his friends didn't seem to mind that much. It was time to go home. Now if he could only figure out where home was, he'd be all set.  
  
-----  
  
"Any sign of the targets?" Benny asked the surveillance tech.  
  
"Nothing yet sir. But they're not due for another ten minutes or so," the bored man replied.  
  
"If I were a happily married man, I'd have been there already," Benny reflected. "What kind of information do we have on Anderson?"  
  
"Not much. We didn't have time to build a real dossier. Jeffery Lewis Anderson. Usually goes by 'Jeff'. Twenty years old. Married. One son."  
  
"Where's the kid?" Benny asked sharply. Despite working for a criminal organization, Benny did have some scruples about potentially harming children.  
  
"No idea sir. There was evidence of a child at the target's apartment, but no child."  
  
"Hmm. Go on."  
"OK... OK... One son. Self employed as a machinist and a computer programmer. Weird combo. Hey, according to this, he was lead designer-programmer on 'Boojum Hunt' when he was fourteen.  
  
"Really? I loved that game."  
  
"Me too," the tech admitted. Pausing briefly, he spun his swivel chair to face his superior. "Sir, maybe I'm missing something, but what's the connection between this guy and Ranma Saotome? They've got nothing in common."  
  
"You figure it out, tell me so I can tell the big boss," Benny replied. Glancing at his watch, he added, "Gotta go. His majesty wants to 'observe' when I make the run around calls. Contact me when they show up."  
  
"Sure thing." As Benny walked off, the tech turned back in time to see a flash of static blip across his consoles. He dismissed it as just another in a long line of power surges caused by electrifying the detention cells. 'Chinese girl must _like_ getting zapped,' he thought.  
  
At a nearby cyber cafe, Jeff stared at his PDA waiting for a flashing yellow light to turn green or red. Ranma sat next to him and sipped hot chocolate to ward off the December chill. It was either that or admit he liked the stuff.  
  
"It's in," Jeff said quietly when the light finally flashed green. "Time to go."  
  
"You sure program will work?" Ranma asked.  
  
If the program Jeff assembled in under two hours worked, he could lock up his enemy's phone and computer systems. "If it doesn't, we'll improvise."  
  
Five minutes later and three blocks away, Benny noted it was 5:59 PM. He was reaching for the phone when it rang.  
  
"Benny."  
  
"They're here!" the no longer bored tech stated, agitation clearly evident in his voice.  
  
"They just now made the rendezvous point?"  
  
"I mean _here_ here, in the front lobby!"  
  
Benny hung up the phone, turned to his employer and calmly stated, "Sir, we have a problem," just as the intruder alarms went off.  
  
Hawksmoor turned on his internal security monitor and began cycling through the available cameras. He stopped on an image of two men. One was relatively tall, brown haired, wearing a brown trench coat and carrying an aluminum baseball bat. A large green duffel bag was slung across his back. The other was shorter, dressed in a red sleeveless shirt, black sweatpants and slippers. Both men wore gloves.  
  
Hawksmoor smiled at the intruders' resourcefulness. "Bravo, Misters Anderson and Saotome." Finding out how they'd located his headquarters so quickly was a task he would eventually turn over to his interrogators. But at that moment, wishing only for some popcorn, Hawksmoor settled in to watch the show.  
  
Ranma knocked out the two 'security guards' before they could draw their weapons. The agent acting as the receptionist did better, but Jeff disarmed her before she could fire her taser. After shooting her with her own weapon, Jeff pulled a handful of plastic ties from his pocket and roughly trussed the three unconscious operatives. Jeff flipped over the receptionist's desk scattering papers and office equipment. After helping Ranma drag Hawksmoor's men behind the rough shield, Jeff pulled a bowl full of gray powder covered with plastic wrap and a tape gun from his duffel bag. With two quick motions, the bowl was attached to the door leading to the rest of Hawksmoor's complex. Diving behind his makeshift barricade, Jeff pulled a detonator from his trench coat. "Fire in the hole!" he shouted.  
  
A brilliant flash lit the room for several seconds. When the light faded, there was a large glowing hole where the door's locking mechanism used to be. It flew open at Ranma's kick. Total time from start to finish was under a minute.  
  
"Brilliant. Wonderful," Hawksmoor mused enthusiastically.  
  
Benny demanded, "Where in the hell did they get thermite?"  
  
Hawksmoor waved away his bodyguard's question. "Mister Anderson is a machinist. How hard can it be for him to get magnesium and iron filings?"  
  
"Fine, he can make a bomb. But where'd he get the detonator?" Benny asked pointedly.  
  
Hawksmoor ignored the question. There were too many possibilities to bother explaining them. As he watched, Ranma plowed into a group of cadre and left the only one standing ten seconds later. "I could topple governments with a dozen men like him," Hawksmoor noted with a laugh.  
  
"Sir, as much as you're enjoying this, those are your men getting the snot kicked out of them," Benny stated forcefully. He wanted Hawksmoor to take control of the situation, to lead, but his employer seemed content to let the two intruders run amok.  
  
"Oh, but I'm learning so much," Hawksmoor observed. "All the better to defeat them later."  
  
-----  
  
Meanwhile, in a another part of the facility, Shampoo heard a loud buzzing noise come from multiple ceiling mounted speakers. The cell block guards scrambled out of the detention area in response to its call.  
  
'Now that was convenient,' Shampoo thought. Peeling off her clothes, she splashed herself with cold water from the sink. Her much smaller feline body walked between the bars with room to spare. Searching the cell block, she found an unconscious dark-haired woman with a bandaged forehead. Shampoo ignored her, having other problems to worry about.  
  
As she searched for either Kuno or the way out, a very large brown and black tabby leapt down from the shadows. He, Shampoo was certain, wore a complex harness with a couple of miniature saddlebags. The strange feline peered at her interestedly. She prepared to fight, despite being outweighed at least ten to one.  
  
"Excuse me, where do they keep the prisoners?" Robert the Cat asked.  
  
Shampoo's command of English was limited at best, her shock at meeting a talking cat was great, but she still managed to bat a paw in the right direction.  
  
"Thanks cutie," the oversized cat said before bounding away.  
  
After pulling herself together, Shampoo continued her search. Moments later, she found Kuno in a room that looked more like a hotel than a detention cell. Kuno lay sleeping on a comfortable looking bed. His left arm was encased in a cast with wires leading out from it. Shampoo managed to turn on the washstand's hot water faucet and returned to her normal body.  
  
"Bokken boy! Wake up!" Shampoo shouted in Japanese as she roughly shook Kuno. Ally or not, if the kendoist didn't start moving, he'd be left behind.  
  
Kuno's eyes slowly wandered open. He incoherently slurred, "Oh... ramen haired purple girl, it is I... you... those..." Suddenly he bolted upright long enough to ask "Where are your clothes?" before blood fountained out his nose and he fell unconscious once more.  
  
Shampoo smacked her forehead with an open palm. 'Oy Vey. Great-grandmother was right. I should have waited for airen to come home on his own.' She quickly fashioned a toga out of bed linen and swung up Kuno in a fireman's carry. It was long past time to leave.  
  
-----  
  
The incessant clanging of alarms finally woke Anne. With a headache left over from her encounter with Kodachi, she examined herself and her surroundings. The bars of her spartan cell proved electrified when she tested them. The alarms continued ringing and Anne felt she knew why. Even as she sat down to await rescue, help arrived.  
  
"About time you got here," Anne muttered once Robert the Cat approached her cell.  
  
Not knowing if they were being watched, the talking feline didn't answer. He crawled close to the electrified bars and waited. Unsteady from her zap-nap, Anne stretched out on the floor. Carefully reaching past the bars, she unbuckled Robert's saddlebags. Anne recognized the workmanship. After all, it was hers.  
  
Robert fled as Anne pulled the bags into her cell. The first bag contained earplugs and dark-tinted polycarbonate goggles, which she donned. Her cell phone, which she stuffed into a back pocket. Last but not least, a chocolate bar, which she promptly ate. In the other saddlebag were a package marked 'thermite', a detonator and a roll of duct tape.  
  
"What am I supposed to..." Anne trailed off as she looked over the available tools. "Oh! Duh." She quickly wrapped the thermite with sticky side out duct tape and carefully dropped it on her cell's locking mechanism. Draping the thin mattress from the army surplus cot over herself for protection, Anne crouched as far from the lock as possible and hit the switch.  
  
Thirty seconds later, Anne moved warily down the hall looking for any way out of the building. As soon as she cell phone registered a signal, she had a call to make.  
  
-----  
  
As Hawksmoor watched Ranma dodge taser fire, Benny attempted to rally the troops. The surveillance squad detailed to watch Saotome and Anderson was en route, ETA ten minutes. The four squads detailed to actually capture the targets, which included his best men, had been ordered to scatter. There was no way they'd make it back from Brooklyn in time to affect the outcome.  
  
This left four squads of cadre, a dozen or so agents and nearly twenty non-combatants to deal with the intruders. Numbers that had been steadily decreasing since the attack began. Hawksmoor refused to authorize lethal force. He wanted Saotome and Anderson alive.  
  
Benny was left with the task of implementing orders he didn't agree with. Looking over his situation board, he came up with a plan. A half squad of techs was sent to slip in behind the intruders. They would free and awaken as many of the captured men as possible. That would cut off, or at least slow, any retreat back the way they had come. Once he had enough men for the job, picking off Anderson would come next. The final maneuver would be to pile enough bodies on Saotome that he'd fall to sheer weight of numbers no matter how good a martial artist he was.  
  
As Benny watched his techs warily approach the front lobby where the attack began, an emergency signal came through his command headset. "Sir, we have prisoners loose," Benny reported urgently.  
  
Hawksmoor glared at his monitor. A few keystrokes divided his screen into four sections. Upper left, Ranma Saotome was finishing off the group of cadre that had fired upon him. Upper right, Jeffery Anderson was interrogating a captured tech two rooms away from his friend. Lower left, Shampoo's clothing was the only thing remaining in her cell. Lower right, Anne Anderson's cell door hung open, the locking mechanism destroyed.  
  
Stroking his beard, Hawksmoor ordered, "Lock down the building. Engage internal defenses." In a more conversational tone, he added, "I believe Mister Anderson has more help than we've seen." He began running the security recordings backward to find out how the escapes had been made.  
  
Benny rapidly typed Hawksmoor's commands into his console. Status lights flashed red, and refused to fade after Benny reentered the commands. Shaking his head, he reported, "Lockdown sequence initiated. Unsealable gaps between Zones 1 and 2, and Zones 8, 11 and 12. Internal defenses..." The words 'coming online' were preempted by his computer screen going blank.  
  
As the picture on his security monitor dissolved in a swirl of static, a glimmer of annoyance crossed Colin Hawksmoor's face but was quickly banished. "Undoubtedly Anderson's doing. Ah well, playtime is over. Time to deal with them myself."  
  
-----  
  
Shampoo felt the presence of someone behind her. Instincts sharpened through endless drill and practice were as reliable as sight and hearing. Carrying Kuno limited her options, but she could still fight this unseen foe.  
  
When she spun around, Shampoo faced two men with submachine guns. She was a mighty warrior, an Amazon champion, but she wasn't a fool. She raised her arms in surrender, knowing that if her captors slipped up for even a split second, she could take them.  
  
Even as Shampoo considered her options, the same oversized cat she'd met earlier blurred into existence above her captor's heads. Robert's fangs and claws flashed as he buried them in his chosen target's neck. As a distraction, Shampoo couldn't have asked for more. The subsequent fight didn't last six seconds.  
  
"Wow, you're even cute as a human," Robert observed afterwards. He quickly licked the back of his paw and began grooming the fur on his head.  
  
Knowing her poor English would make her sound stupid, Shampoo still asked "What kind cat you?"  
  
"The very best kind," said a female voice from behind her. Shampoo whirled to see the woman she'd left back at the cell block. Apparently, she'd managed her own escape, with or without help from the purring feline rubbing against her ankles.  
  
"Hello, I'm Anne," the dark haired woman said. With a gesture, she added, "You've already met Robert. You must be Shampoo."  
  
According to the information she had purchased from Nabiki, Anne was the name of Jeffery Anderson's wife. This women could lead her straight to her husband. "Where is airen?" Shampoo demanded.  
  
"Who's Airen?" Anne asked in return.  
  
Shampoo grimaced internally and tried again. "Ranma. Where is Ranma?"  
  
"Last I heard, two floors up and over thataway," Robert answered with a motion of his paw.  
  
"Well if they're here to rescue us, we might as well make it easy for them," Anne responded as she grabbed one of the submachine guns dropped earlier. "Help yourself."  
  
The Amazon didn't understand most of what Robert of Anne had said, but the last part was clear enough. "Shampoo no use gun." She meant she didn't need a gun, but saying so was beyond her language skills.  
  
"In that case, let's see if I remember how to use one of these," Anne said. With sure movements, she set the Mini-Uzi's safety, verified there was a round in chamber, removed the clip and quickly counted twenty-four 9 millimeter rounds. Reattaching the clip, she prepared the weapon for use in semi-automatic mode. Just another of the many things she'd learned in the hero biz. "I'm ready. Lead on Robert."  
  
'Americans and their stupid guns,' Shampoo thought as she followed the woman and cat towards her chance to convince Ranma that she was one he should marry.  
  
-----  
  
With the loss of communications, a few of Hawksmoor's men had abandoned his Greenwich Village headquarters. A few others merely abandoned the 'no lethal force' orders they'd been given. The pop of small arms fire was soaked up by the building's extensive soundproofing. But inside the building, enough people heard the gunplay to bring all the players to the same stage.  
  
The net result was that the main training room suddenly became crowded. Ranma was searching the cavernous space for anyone to fight. Jeff dashed in with five armed men behind him. His armored trench coat had stopped three bullets already. Robert, Anne and Shampoo (still carrying an unconscious Kuno Tatewaki) entered from the stairwell.  
  
On spotting Ranma, Robert spun around and scrambled out of sight. The Neko-Ken wasn't anything he wanted to see, cause or otherwise be involved with. He'd just managed to leave the training area when reinforced steel doors slammed down over the exits.  
  
"ENOUGH!" shouted Hawksmoor in a command voice. He and Benny stood on a catwalk high above where the rest of the room's occupants were noting who else had arrived.  
  
"Anne!" "Jeff!" "Shampoo?" "Airen!" Kuno was dropped unceremoniously to the concrete floor.  
  
'Husband?' Hawksmoor translated internally as armed agents took up station along the narrow pathways strung throughout the training room. "Get the girl," he quietly ordered his enforcer.  
  
Benny vaulted the catwalk rail, taking the eight meter drop without effort to land between Anne and Shampoo. Anne hesitated to pull the trigger of her Mini-Uzi because once bullets started flying it was nearly impossible to get them to stop. Shampoo didn't hesitate at all, throwing herself into desperate combat against her much larger and superhumanly strong opponent.  
  
Ranma moved to interfere, but was waved down by Jeff. They weren't supposed to know that Benny was a meta-human and that Shampoo needed help. Besides, in Jeff's opinion, there was a chance the Amazon could win.  
  
As cadre disarmed Anne and waved her over to join her husband, Shampoo landed blow after blow on her antagonist. To someone without Benny's durability, they might have been enough. As it was, Benny shrugged off her efforts long enough to grab Shampoo's arm. Using his superior strength, he quickly placed her in a hold from which there was no escape. With surprising gentleness, Benny requested, "Miss Shampoo, please stop before I have to hurt you."  
  
Shampoo stopped struggling. She suddenly realized why her great-grandmother had ordered her to follow the laws of America and not the laws of the Joketzu on her search. She wasn't there as an Amazon warrior. She wasn't there to enforce three thousand years of Amazon tradition. She wasn't there to trick Ranma into marriage or even a mere declaration of affection. She was there to show Ranma that she loved him. She was there to show Ranma that Shampoo the woman, not Shampoo the Amazon, would be his best choice as wife. Winning or losing a battle against some other male wasn't the point. It was... disturbing... that Cologne had been so far sighted and she had been so blind.  
  
Shampoo was brought back to reality by the sound of Hawksmoor's voice. "A valiant attempt gentlemen. One that was far too successful for amateurs."  
  
"This is not my first kidnapping," Ranma stated levelly.  
  
Hawksmoor's trained senses indicated that Ranma told the truth. "Mrs. Anderson and Miss Kuno were taken without my orders. I apologize for that." The fact that no one had freed Kodachi did not escape his notice. "It was my intention to release them to you."  
  
He sounded sincere enough to Ranma's ear, but Jeff asked, "What about Shampoo and Lumpy?" Kuno still laid where Shampoo had dropped him. No one had seen fit to check on his condition.  
  
"Those were at Miss Kuno's request and expense," the man explained from his perch. "As such, I'm afraid I can't allow them to leave unchallenged. But it's nothing that a little one on one battle wouldn't cure."  
  
Ranma jerked his thumb toward Benny and asked, "So I have to fight him before you let them go?"  
  
"No Mister Saotome. You'll be fighting me," Hawksmoor stated calmly.  
  
"Sir, I must protest," Benny nearly shouted.  
  
"Protest noted and filed for future reference," Hawksmoor replied in clipped tones before climbing down from the catwalk.  
  
At multiple gunpoints, Jeff and Anne were marched over the prone body of Kuno Tatewaki. Shampoo soon joined them. Ranma walked to the middle of the room as his adversary did likewise.  
  
"I am Colin Hawksmoor, leader of the Irish Wolfhounds and my terms are simple: Win, and you may leave with your friends. Lose, and you will join them."  
  
Ranma formally bowed and stated "I am Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts and I accept your terms."  
  
Ranma was surprised when his first kick missed. When the follow up punches also failed to connect, he was moderately impressed. Hawksmoor was avoiding the blows by a fair distance, reacting even to feints. Ranma's bare arms and skin tight silk shirt told Hawksmoor everything he needed to know.  
  
The spectators watch impassively until one uniformed man shouted "Kick his ass boss!" This let loose the floodgates and soon most of Hawksmoor's men were cheering their leader.  
  
Ranma ignored the crowd and focused on his opponent. Jeff had warned him that the man was a muscle reader. The next kick he launched, Hawksmoor intercepted with both hands. Ranma brought his other leg up in a kick directed at the back of his enemy's head.  
  
Hawksmoor threw Ranma's captive leg up while ducking just enough to spoil Ranma's effort. Ferociously torquing his body around, Ranma managed to land on his feet, but facing away from his opponent. Hawksmoor kicked him squarely in the tailbone forcing Ranma to sprawl onto the concrete floor.  
  
Rolling away from a follow up stomp, Ranma attempted a leg sweep which was neatly hopped over. But the attack and its whirling successors allowed Ranma to regain his feet.  
  
"Very nice Mister Saotome," Hawksmoor taunted, "but I can read your every move."  
  
"Read this," Ranma replied before exploding into motion. Hawksmoor was unconscious before he realized the difference between being able to tell what an opponent is doing and being fast enough to do anything about it.  
  
The men and women of the Irish Wolfhounds looked to Benny for instructions. They were more than ready to ignore the deal their leader had made. As Benny prepared to speak, he was preempted by an amplified voice stating, "This Is The Police. We Have You Surrounded. Drop Your Weapons And Place Your Hands On Your Heads."  
  
Again the Irish Wolfhounds turned to their second in command. Benny scooped up his fallen employer and kicked open the reinforced steel door that had sealed off the stairwell. Motioning his troops through, he paused at the threshold. Turning to Shampoo, he said, "In another time and place..." before trailing off. Shaking his head sadly, Benny ducked into the stairwell and was soon lost to sight.  
  
"We go after them?" Ranma asked.  
  
"No. We got who we came for," Jeff replied with one arm draped protectively around his wife.  
  
-----  
  
"So, is Benny your new 'airen'?" Ranma inquired hopefully.  
  
"No. Great-grandmother say Shampoo obey laws of America when Shampoo in America, not laws of Joketzu."  
  
This was a happy surprise for Ranma. "Really? Then that means..."  
  
Jeff caught the line of reasoning and told Ranma in English, "I'll call in a favor and get us an early court date."  
  
"What foreign man say?" Shampoo demanded.  
  
Changing mental gears back to Japanese, Jeff said, "Don't worry Shampoo, we'll get everything straightened out. But in the meantime, the police have some questions for you."  
  
Shampoo nodded and allowed herself to be led away by Detective Tomoeh Mochizuki-Sanderson. Who just happened to be one of people Ranma had met at Anne's 21st birthday party and who also happened to be one of Robert the Cat's 'owners'. That happy non-coincidence had played a large part in Jeff's plans.  
  
Watching the two women leave, Ranma asked, "What do we do now?"  
  
"Shampoo and Kuno will probably be held as material witnesses. But Kodachi's been charged with a whole laundry list of stuff. We leave her in jail and screw up her bail. Without being caught at it of course."  
  
"That is _so_ not nice. I like it."  
  
END CHAPTER 14 


	15. Decision Points

Choices Made, Roads Taken  
Chapter 15: Decision Points  
  
What has happened before: Ranma, after getting out from under the "man among men" suicide pledge, has traveled to New York City with retired super hero Jeff Anderson. However, some of those left behind came after him. Winning a battle is one thing, but how can he win the war? What choices will Ranma make? Which roads will he take?  
  
-----  
  
Ranma pulled off his tie and hung up his suit jacket before plopping down on the futon couch. He really wasn't used to wearing such things, but had to admit he looked damn good in them. It couldn't believe it had been that easy. His marriage to Shampoo had been annulled. He'd have been happy with a divorce, but once the judge had heard the circumstances of the marriage, he'd dissolved the whole thing as if it had never happened. Even more importantly, Shampoo accepted that fact.  
  
Jeff leaned into Ranma's bedroom through the open door and knocked on the frame. Ranma motioned him toward the other end of the couch and Jeff closed the door before sitting down. Ranma noticed he'd managed to ditch his tie and jacket too.  
  
Ranma spoke first. "Well, at least one good thing happened cause I was here. I don't have to worry about Shampoo no more. And Kodachi can't bother anyone for awhile." It looked like Shampoo would be returning to Japan with the elder Kuno. But from what Ranma understood, Kodachi would be facing several charges if she were found competent to stand trial. Either way, she'd be in custody for _months_. Barring escape. Or bail. Or her father doing something. At least her brother had made it quite clear that he had no intention of doing anything that might result in Kodachi's release. Something about 'a continued gustatorial reprieve'.  
  
Jeff thought about it for a second before responding. "I wouldn't be so sure about Shampoo. The annulment only applies to what's happened up until now. Defeat her again, and I'll bet she and Cologne consider the marriage back on. Maybe we'll get lucky and Benny will track her down first. I might just give him directions to the Cat Cafe. And a plane ticket. And bust him out of jail."  
  
Ranma laughed at the thought. But it was nice to be down to only two fiancees. No Amazon wife and no deranged gymnast would be fiancee, even if it would most likely be a temporary situation, was an improvement. "Still leaves me with engagements to Akane and Ukyo. If I could figure out what to do about that, I could go home with, how you say... 'clear conscience'. No easy answers for that one."  
  
"I could tell you what I think, but you'd have to promise to listen," Jeff said soberly. He knew that Ranma always kept his promises. With Ranma planning to return to Japan in time for Christmas, there were a lot of things Jeff wanted to say to the younger man. Things that Ranma probably didn't want to hear.  
  
Ranma recognized the tone of voice and clinical expression as Jeff's 'serious' thing. It meant 'pay attention'. But after giving his word, he was surprised by Jeff's first statement.  
  
"First off, what the hell do you see in Akane?"  
  
"Hey!" Ranma interrupted loudly. The flash of anger in his eye was unmistakable.  
  
"No yelling in the house!" Anne cried from beyond Ranma's bedroom door.  
  
Ranma and Jeff both reflexively hollered back "Sorry!"  
  
After a moment of mutual glaring, Jeff broke the lengthening silence. "I mean, Akane is kinda cute and she does have that killer smile, but unless she learns to control her temper and grows up, who needs her?"  
  
"Who died and made you god?" Ranma clenched his fists hard enough to pop knuckles.  
  
"You said you'd listen. So do it," Jeff answered calmly. After a brief pause in which Ranma did not lodge an objection, he continued, "Doesn't she get tired of being angry at you?"  
  
Ranma remembered asking Akane a similar question once. "She is not always angry."  
  
"Not always," Jeff admitted. "But way too often. She blames you for damn near everything. I know you care for her bu-"  
  
"Who said I cared for that violent tomboy?"  
  
"I did. If you want to lie to yourself about that, fine. Just don't lie to me about it because I've seen it with my own eyes."  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to bring forth another denial, but nothing came out. Finally, he simply said, "Easy answer, huh?"  
  
"Very easy answer Ranma. Why do you act like someone will kill you if you admit it?"  
  
After a pause long enough for Jeff to think there wouldn't be answer, Ranma quietly said, "Not me."  
  
Jeff understood what that implied. In a rare moment of empathy, he decided to switch to the other existing engagement. "All right, what don't you see in Ukyo then?"  
  
That answer came a lot faster. "Jeff, there are times I still think of Uc-chan as a guy. It weirds me out to think that my best friend from when I was a kid is really a girl."  
  
"Ranma, I assure you, she's not a guy. She's a young woman who got screwed over by your father and hers. She's cute, she can cook and as far as I can tell, she doesn't hit first and ask questions never."  
  
"Give me some credit. I know Akane and Uc-chan better than you. It's not that easy." After a reflective pause, Ranma asked, "You really think Ukyo would be better for me than Akane?"  
  
"Down the road? Yes. But if you absolutely, positively have to get married to someone right now, I think your best bet would be Kasumi. If she'll have you."  
  
"Kasumi?" Ranma asked both puzzled and surprised.  
  
"What's wrong with Kasumi?" Jeff asked in return.  
  
Ranma thought briefly before stammering "Uh... nothing I guess. But even... I mean..." Ranma suddenly pulled himself together to finish with, "I don't think she's interested in me."  
  
"You sure about that?" Jeff didn't want Ranma to write off Kasumi so quickly. Besides, an 'official' engagement to Kasumi would give Ranma the time he needed to really decide. Jeff didn't think any of Ranma's potential fiancees would be stupid enough to harm Kasumi. Not if they wanted to live afterwards.  
  
Ranma slowly turned his head to the floor. "She deserves better," he said in a near whisper.  
  
"Better than what?"  
  
"Better than me. I mean, what could I offer her? What could I offer Kasumi... or Akane or Ukyo? I'm not ready to get married."  
  
"I agree. You're not ready to get married. No big deal, you're only sixteen. Anyone who wants you to get married now doesn't give a damn about you."  
  
'You take that back' almost made its way from Ranma's throat. Instead, he managed, "It's not like I ever got the choice Jeff."  
  
"Then make it now. I heard you tell your mother that you wanted to come here to find some answers the night I kept her from chopping your head off."  
  
"You heard that?"  
  
"I've got good ears," Jeff replied offhandedly. "You also said that I could help."  
  
"I did say that. But I can't even figure out what most of the questions are."  
  
"Well I'll start then. What am I?" Jeff asked.  
  
"What do you mean 'what are you'?" Ranma asked back.  
  
"Seriously. What am I?"  
  
"Jeff Anderson."  
  
"No. That's who I am, not what I am. What am I?"  
  
"Okay. You want to play game. You are superhero."  
  
"Buzz, wrong answer. I stopped being a superhero. What am I?"  
  
Ranma didn't like this game. "You are mutant."  
  
"Correct. Now here's a tough question. What else am I?"  
  
"..."  
  
"What are you?" Jeff asked before Ranma could come up with an answer.  
  
"Martial artist," Ranma replied instantly.  
  
"You've always been a martial artist."  
  
"I will always be martial artist," Ranma stated firmly. Despite his father's (and other's) insane training methods. Despite the rivalries and the enemies and the curses and the thousand and one other indignities that life threw at him. Despite it all, Ranma Saotome was a martial artist and knew it.  
  
"And you're a damn good one. What else are you?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Ranma, 'mutant' is only a tiny part of what I am. In my life I've been a computer hacker, a computer programmer, a game designer, a superhero and a first aid instructor. For a living I'm now more of a precision machinist, a self taught aeronautical engineer and a behind the scenes good guy. Far more importantly, I'm a husband and a father. I'm not about to let 'mutant' be the only thing that defines me. To quote Heinlein, 'Specialization is for insects.' What are you besides a martial artist?"  
  
Ranma remembered the ultimate weakness moxibustion. The joy he'd felt over the return of his strength overshadowed the fact that without it, he had... "Nothing."  
  
"Buzz. Wrong answer. At least I hope it's the wrong answer, or we've completely wasted the last three months."  
  
"Look Jeff, I'm feeling even dumber than normal right now. Could you quit playing games and say what you mean?"  
  
"All right, no more games. Ranma, your life is, by far, more screwed up than mine ever was."  
  
"Thank you for noticing," Ranma said sarcastically.  
  
"Like an elephant in a powder blue tuxedo, it was impossible to miss." Ranma contemplated the visual image Jeff suggested. It was... odd. He gladly set it aside when Jeff continued, "This whole trip was so you could find out who 'Ranma Saotome: Person' is. I've met 'Ranma Saotome: Martial Artist' and I'll admit I'm impressed. But he just seems so... limited."  
  
"Limited how?"  
  
"You see _everything_ from a martial arts perspective. If it's martial arts, you can deal with it, no matter how strange it is otherwise."  
  
It was an accurate description. "So?"  
  
"It limits your options. A martial artist doesn't hit girls, which is fine. But someone trying to kill you isn't a girl, even if she's female. Sometimes you have to go beyond martial arts and just... fight. Even as a martial artist, you know the difference between a blow struck in anger and a blow struck in training. Both on the giving and receiving ends."  
  
"It is not same thing."  
  
"Exactly." Jeff got up from the couch strode across the room and opened the door. He leaned out and asked, "Anne, have I ever hit you?"  
  
"Yes," she replied from the general direction of the kitchen.  
  
"In anger?"  
  
"Of course not. We're still married aren't we?" Anne asked rhetorically.  
  
Jeff closed the door and returned to his end of the futon. "I rest my case. You've sparred with me, FreeFall and, if I use the term very loosely, Big Tex. But you only dodged Sunray and Akane told me you do the same thing to her way back when I first met her."  
  
Ranma nodded in acknowledgement. "I am working on that. Sunray called me on it and she was right, but Pops always told me to not hit girls. It is not easy to change life long habit. But I really need to change. I can not be decent sensei if I am not willing to really work with my students. And some of my students are going to be girls."  
  
"Fine. That's half of it. Here's the other half. Why do you let Akane hit you? I refuse to believe she magically gets good enough to hit you when she gets mad. Sure, she gets faster and stronger, but her accuracy goes to hell."  
  
"When Akane is mad... easiest way for her to not be mad is to hit something. Most of the time, it is me she is mad at, so..."  
  
"Ranma, if that's the only way Akane can deal with anger, she needs help. I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but she needs to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist or an anger management counselor or somebody."  
  
"She's not that bad."  
  
"She's bad enough. I mean, I like Akane, but I'd never let her babysit Lil' Bill."  
  
"Why not? Akane gets along great with kids," Ranma said in defense of his fiancee.  
  
"I don't trust her to keep her temper under control. I can watch out for myself. You can watch out for yourself. But considering how little it takes to set her off, I'm not about to leave someone who can't defend themselves with her."  
  
"You don't know Akane like I do."  
  
Jeff knew a brick wall when he hit his head against it. "Fine, you win. I'll drop it. Next question: Who is your worst enemy?"  
  
A look of annoyance flashed across Ranma's face. "I know you don't like Ryoga, but he's my friend."  
  
"Actually, I wasn't referring to Ryoga. I know you've got this whole 'macho buddy' thing going with him. I can accept that. Mind you, if you asked him if you two were friends, I bet he'd deny it."  
  
Ranma snorted and said, "You're probably right. So who are you talking about?"  
  
"Nabiki."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Ryoga, Mousse, Kuno, even that Pantyhose guy you told me about, they're all physical threats. Which for you, aren't a problem. But Nabiki screws with your head and you've got no defense against that. How much money has she made from you? How many times has she blackmailed you? How many times has she sold information with no regard for who got hurt by it? Shampoo would never have come here if Nabiki hadn't sold her the post office box number."  
  
"What about Kodachi and Kuno?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Kodachi was gunning for me as much as she was chasing after you. I think she'd have shown up anyhow. Kuno? From what Shampoo said at court, she convinced Kuno to come. Either way..."  
  
"... it goes back to Nabiki," Ranma finished.  
  
Jeff nodded and said, "An enemy is someone who does you harm. I think Nabiki does you more harm than anybody, it's just not direct."  
  
Ranma pondered Jeff's point before he asked, "So what should I do? I can't hit her."  
  
"Are you sure? Knocking her out and leaving tied up on top of Tokyo Tower might be fun. Just don't break her nose." Jeff waited until Ranma stopped laughing be he continued, "Seriously though, blackmail is a very ugly business. Right now, you're out from under Nabiki. I strongly urge you to stay that way. Don't buy anything from her. Don't ask her for any favors. Nothing."  
  
"You really don't like Nabiki," Ranma observed.  
  
"I consider her your worst enemy for a reason Ranma."  
  
The room fell silent. Ranma processed what Jeff had said. Jeff waited for him to do so. After a couple minutes, Jeff decided that ready or not, it was time to hit Ranma with his final point.  
  
"Ranma, I know I've given you a lot to think about. But there's one more thing that I have to mention. Your biggest problem isn't your rivals. It isn't your fiancees or their relatives. It's much worse than that. It's your parents."  
  
Unlike when Akane was mentioned, or even when he thought Jeff was talking about Ryoga, Ranma didn't object. He didn't question. He didn't make any defense at all. He simply said, "I know."  
  
-----  
  
"Well, for good or for bad, it's over. Ranma's flight left for Tokyo with him on it," Jeff said as he pulled off his t-shirt and threw it into the dirty clothes hamper.  
  
Anne was already in bed wearing an old night shirt. She peeled back the blankets and motioned her husband to join her. "I wouldn't call it over. What he does when he gets home will make or break the whole trip."  
  
Jeff slid into bed and pulled up the covers before turning to kiss his wife's cheek. "True enough. I think we did the best we could."  
  
"There's only so much we could do in what? Three and a half months? Good thing Ranma has a gift for learning. When he feels like using it."  
  
"No argument here. But whatever happens, I think he's a lot better prepared than when he showed up." With a glance, Jeff used his telekinesis to turn off the lights.  
  
Anne replied with a noncommittal noise. There was moment of relative quiet. Only the random sounds of New York City could be heard in the darkened bedroom.  
  
"So, you wanna fool around?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask."  
  
END CHAPTER 15 


	16. Epilogue: Choices Made, Roads Taken

Epilogue: Choices Made, Roads Taken.  
  
What has happened before: Ranma, after resolving the "man among men" suicide pledge, traveled to New York City to get his life in order. The results were mixed but Ranma eventually chose to return home. Will Ranma return to his old routine, or will he travel a different road?  
  
-----  
  
Returning to Nerima proved harder than expected for Ranma. Not in the difficult decisions he had made and continued to make about how he planned to live his life. Merely the vagaries of travel.  
  
A ferocious storm had sprung up over Tokyo forcing his flight to divert to Sapporo. The remaining 800 or so kilometers were traversed by commuter flight, bullet train, Japan Rail, taxi and foot. The cold December rain reached a crescendo as Ranma entered Nerima. As she walked through familiar streets, the storm finally blew out to sea allowing the afternoon sun to shine.  
  
Because she'd lost a day in transit, Ranma didn't realize it was Saturday until she approached Ucchan's and found it open. 'Might as well start here.'  
  
The petite redhead was wrapped in a bear hug before she cleared the doorway. "Ranma! You're back!" cried Ukyo.  
  
"Can't... breathe..." Visions of traveling halfway around the world only to be killed by an excessively affectionate hug passed through Ranma's mind. Upon noting that Ranma was soaked to the gills, Ukyo ordered her upstairs to shower and change clothes. Ranma returned, dry and male, as Ukyo hung out the 'Closed' sign a few minutes later. There was no sign of the few customers that had been there when he arrived.  
  
"You didn't havta close up for me," he said.  
  
"I didn't, but I did anyway," Ukyo happily replied. "Tell me _everything_ about your trip while I whip up some 'Welcome Home Ran-chan' okonomiyaki."  
  
Ranma ate and talked, giving Ukyo the 'sanitized' version of his trip. No mention of MATRIX or Wild Dragon or any part of the different life he'd been introduced to. What was left was interesting enough, if a little tame by Nerima standards. "... so I came home," he finished. The status of his engagement to Ukyo never came up and he was just as happy that it didn't. There would be time for that later.  
  
"Well I'm glad you're back. But what will you do now? Are you going to move back in with the Tendos?" 'Please say no. Please say no,' she thought.  
  
"No."  
  
'Good.' "Your folks?" 'Please say no. Please say no.'  
  
"No."  
  
'Better.' "Me?" Ukyo inquired hopefully. 'Please say yes. Please say yes.'  
  
"No-o-o," Ranma laughed.  
  
To cover her disappointment, Ukyo forced a grin and mocked, "Better not be with Shampoo or the Kunos."  
  
Ranma laughed harder. To laugh, not at someone else's misfortune (current or forthcoming) or to cover nervousness, was something Ranma lacked practice with. "I'm wanna... I'm _gonna_ get my own place. In Nerima if I can swing it."  
  
"How are you going to afford that?"  
  
"I earned over 50,000 while I was gone."  
  
"Ranma honey, that's not even a month's rent. When you add utilities..."  
  
"Dollars," Ranma interrupted. Fifty five hundred from his MATRIX stipend, a good chunk of which he'd spent, and almost fifty thousand from reward money earned by recovering property stolen in the Javits Center robbery.  
  
"Oh."  
  
-----  
  
After leaving Ucchan's, Ranma thought about stopping at the Cat Cafe. He needed to drop off a certified copy of the annulment decree if nothing else. Eventually he decided against it as he wanted to be fully rested before he dealt with Mousse and more importantly, Cologne.  
  
Thus he didn't learn until later that Cologne was perfectly happy with the annulment. The Revised Amazon Code would be hard enough to introduce to the Joketzu without an unresolved Kiss of Marriage lingering in the air. It would also be interesting to see just how her great-granddaughter would court Ranma once the artificial underpinnings of their relationship were removed.  
  
-----  
  
It was nearly sunset on one of the shortest days of the year when he finally arrived at the front gate of the Tendo Dojo. He was strongly tempted to run around back and ring the challenge bell, but thought better of it. Instead he rang the doorbell and waited.  
  
Kasumi's eyes sprang wide as she recognized Ranma. Her hug wasn't as bone crushing as Ukyo's, but it was just as heartfelt. Also, because his arms weren't pinned to his sides, Ranma even hugged back.  
  
"I am so happy to see you Ranma," Kasumi said softly.  
  
"Yeah, me too," he said before checking himself. "Not me I mean. I mean... You know what I mean."  
  
Kasumi almost laughed then tensed suddenly. "Oh my! Ranma, your parents are here, I should let them know."  
  
Ranma held on a split second longer. "Before ya do that, I've got sumthin' to say."  
  
"What is it Ranma?" the eldest Tendo daughter asked seriously.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me since we met. This is the only place in my life I've ever considered home and you're the reason why. For that, I owe ya more than I can ever repay."  
  
"Ranma, I... I don't know what to say."  
  
"You don't havta say anything, but I wanted ta tell ya that." The fact that Ranma would gladly move mountains if Kasumi ever asked was understood if not actually spoken.  
  
As Kasumi headed for the living room, Ranma paused long enough to switch from the cross-trainers he'd started wearing in New York to house slippers. He fell far enough behind to encounter Nabiki as she came down the stairs. While he disagreed about Jeff's concept of Kasumi as a potential wife, he reluctantly concluded that at least some of what he'd said about Nabiki was true.  
  
"Hello Nabiki."  
  
"Hello Ranma."  
  
The pause after Nabiki's greeting stretched to an awkward length.  
  
"Amazin', I been gone almost four months and I still got nuthin' to say ta you." After an intentional delay, Ranma firmly added, "Except leave me out of your money making schemes from now on." He turned away from any possible reply.  
  
"That comment is going to cost you Saotome," Nabiki stated under her breath.  
  
'But not today', Ranma thought as he walked towards the living room.  
  
The reunion with his parents and Tendo Soun went as poorly as Ranma expected. After exchanging perfunctory greetings, he found that he simply could not relax. His subconscious still believed his mother carried the Saotome clan sword and was ready to use it. He expected his father to attack in some mindless attempt to determine if Ranma had been keeping up with his martial arts training. As for Soun, Ranma kept looking around to make sure no instant weddings were sprung upon him.  
  
Kasumi returned to the kitchen to begin preparing Ranma's welcome home dinner, leaving Ranma sitting around the chabudai with the, at least in theory, adults. Ranma ordered his thoughts, marshaled his arguments and began his most important fight. The one to take control of his own life.  
  
"As I promised, I have returned," Ranma stated formally. By keeping things on a formal basis, Ranma hoped to retain some semblance of rationality to the proceedings.  
  
"The main reason I left was so that I could make _my_ decisions about the problems I've got." Ranma glared at his father before he continued, "Not that I caused all of the problems..." He waited for a denial and was surprised not to get one. "...and not that I didn't make things worse myself by being such a blockhead. But I've made some choices, and even impel... imperf..."  
  
"Implemented?" Soun offered.  
  
"Thank you. Implemented some of them. In my overnight bag are certified copies of my annulment decree from Shampoo. Officially, we were never married and even Shampoo admits it."  
  
"Well done my boy!" Genma said proudly. Nodoka and Soun also smiled at the news.  
  
Ranma shook his head negatively. "That just takes care of the marriage problem. I'm bettin' there's more."  
  
"Hopefully you shall manage those difficulties as well my son," Nodoka noted.  
  
Ranma shrugged in reply. "Kuno Kodachi, I think we can ignore." This declaration was accepted by those around the table, so Ranma did not go into Kodachi's legal problems.  
  
"Now: The reason that I'll be moving out of here as soon as possible."  
  
"Nonsense son! You're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Soun stated enthusiastically.  
  
"I think I've abused your hospitality long enough Mr. Tendo."  
  
"Rubbish!" The Tendo patriarch's emotions were preparing to carry him away.  
  
"Soun, perhaps my son merely wishes to come home," Nodoka put in.  
  
Genma listened to the interplay between his wife and his best friend with only half an ear. Most of his attention was concentrated on Ranma and he didn't like what he saw there.  
  
The increasing babble was halted by Ranma slapping the table. "I can't stay here because I have two engagements that I havta consider valid." Pointing at his father and Soun, he continued, "You two, arranged an engagement before I was born. But then Pops here engaged me to Ucchan when I was six and accepted a dowry for it." His voice dropped as he warned his father, "And if there are any more engagements out there, I don't wanna here about 'em."  
  
Genma prudently stayed silent, neither admitting nor denying anything.  
  
"Ya can argue all you want about which engagement is most valid. I'm done arguin'. I accept the engagements to Kuonji Ukyo and Tendo Akane."  
  
"Did you hear that? He accepts his engagement to Akane!" Soun cried joyously, leaping to his feet. "Saotome, we must celebrate this happy occasion."  
  
Ranma reached across the low table and pulled Soun to a sitting position. His pale blue aura lent its coldness to his words. "Let. Me. Finish."  
  
"Ah, yes. Certainly," the flustered man replied.  
  
"I will not marry anyone that doesn't wanna marry me. If I don't marry for love, fine. But I ain't forcing nobody inta a marriage they don't want. And I will not marry _anyone_ until I turn eighteen at the earliest."  
  
"What does this have to do with where you will live?" Nodoka asked.  
  
"I havta treat both engagements fairly Mother. I can't live here because that would give Akane an advantage. I can't live with you because Ukyo can always move her restaurant, but Akane has ta stay in Nerima with her family.  
  
"The only fair thing I can do is find some middle ground. Someplace where they can be with me if they want, or avoid me completely. No coercion, no guilt. Once I've got that, I'll work in school, the art and the rest of my life." Ranma added deadpan, "Also, I find the concept of having a bathroom to myself very appealing."  
  
Soun wanted to rage, to cry, to use his Demon's Head technique, any or all of the above. But he'd heard the steel in Ranma's voice. Attempting to bully or cajole him would be a waste of time and effort. The engagement was clearly in Akane's hands now. Ranma had gone halfway and refused to move a micron farther. His daughter could either meet him there or not. "Very well," he eventually said. Standing up, he added "Saotome, I believe we have another game of shogi to play."  
  
Genma nodded, rose and helped his wife to her feet. He knew would have to actually speak with, instead of at, his son sometime soon.  
  
Nodoka had other priorities. "My son, I hope that you choose to live with your father and I until such time as you find this 'middle ground' that you spoke of."  
  
Agreeing cost Ranma nothing, so he did. The joy in his mother's face was clearly evident. "It may not match all of what you've told us, but I also have something very important to say Ranma. In six months or so, you are going to be a big brother."  
  
The unease Ranma normally felt at his mother's presence faded. He was filled with a sense of new possibilities, of new chances, of hope. Instead of the perfunctory hug he'd given his mother earlier, Ranma embraced her with all the warmth and feeling that he could muster. "That's great Mom. I'm really happy for you."  
  
Nodoka basked in her son's affection before leaving to assist Kasumi in the kitchen. Once she was out of earshot, Ranma asked, "Pops, got a minute?"  
  
"Yes boy?" the elder Saotome retorted.  
  
Double checking that the coast was clear, Ranma whispered, "If you even _think_ of doing to my brother or sister what you did to me, I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth. Got it?"  
  
Genma replied in a completely natural voice, "Boy, your mother already made that perfectly clear."  
  
-----  
  
For being thrown together on such short notice, Ranma's welcome home dinner was a culinary triumph. Misoyaki and sesame chicken; home made yakisoba noodles; steamed and stir fried vegetables; rice, plain, egg-fried and curried, were just some of what Ranma consumed. Genma's first attempt to steal from his son's plate resulted in a frying pan to the back of the head. Nodoka was not amused and no further attempts were made.  
  
It wasn't until dessert, Baked Alaska of all things, was served that Akane returned home. "R-Ranma... You came back."  
  
"I promised I would," the pig-tailed martial artist said. He had more to say to Akane than to anyone else in Nerima. But she was also, by far, the hardest person to talk to. He could imagine Ukyo's reaction to his resolution of the fiancee problem. He feared Akane's.  
  
Dessert continued, but the conversation, which had been lively until that point, became stilted. As the last traces of ice cream, cake and meringue disappeared, Soun said to his youngest daughter, "I'm sure you and Ranma have much to discuss. Perhaps the rest of us should go shopping. Christmas is coming soon after all.  
  
"Laying it on a bit thick Daddy?" Nabiki asked sarcastically.  
  
"No, no. I just feel we should give Akane and Ranma some time alone to get reacquainted." With that, Soun led an exodus. His youngest daughter and her fiance remained behind.  
  
After a hesitant mutual glance and an even more awkward pause, Ranma broke the silence. "So... uh... You look good. Did you lose some weight?"  
  
'He meant it as a compliment,' repeatedly looped through Akane's thoughts. "Some," she finally admitted. "Jeff gave me a few good workout ideas before he left. I think they've helped."  
  
"Really? Well, maybe we should go out to the dojo to see how much you've improved."  
  
"Well maybe we should," agreed Akane if not angrily, then at least annoyed.  
  
A few minutes later, Akane stood ready in the dojo, wearing her gi. Ranma hadn't bothered to change clothes. This wasn't unusual as he was accustomed to fighting at any time. What was usual was that Ranma dodged or evaded every one of Akane's attacks. The Tendo girl was close to losing her temper when Ranma stated, "You're right. Your footwork is better."  
  
Encouraged by the comment, Akane threw a punch toward Ranma's chest. He brushed it away with his right hand and landed an open handed blow with his left to Akane's ribcage.  
  
The youngest Tendo froze in shock. "Y-you... You hit me," Akane stammered.  
  
"We're sparring."  
  
"I... I guess we are." With a smile she couldn't conceal, Akane leapt to the attack.  
  
THE END 


End file.
